


SWITZERLAND

by fhsa_archivist



Category: Brokeback Mountain (2005)
Genre: Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-03-07
Updated: 2009-03-07
Packaged: 2019-02-05 17:06:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 31,529
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12798684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fhsa_archivist/pseuds/fhsa_archivist
Summary: Jack flies to Switzerland to bring Lureen and Bobby home after a tragic accident.  Ennis flies over to help out with the somber chore.





	SWITZERLAND

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Haven, the archivist: This story was originally archived at [Fandom Haven Story Archive (FHSA)](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Fandom_Haven_Story_Archive), was scheduled to shut down at the end of 2016. To preserve the archive, I began working with the OTW to transfer the stories to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in November 2017. If you are this creator and the work hasn't transferred to your AO3 account, please contact me using the e-mail address on [Fandom Haven Story Archive collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/fhsa/profile).

Title: SWITZERLAND

Author: Donna McIntosh

Email: dmcintoshtx@yahoo.com

Fandom: Brokeback Mountain

Rating: NC – 17 FRAO

Genre: Slash

Disclaimer: I do not own Brokeback Mountain nor do I make any money off these stories.

Summary: Jack has to go to Switzerland to bring Lureen and Bobby home after a tragic accident. Ennis has to fly over to help with the somber chore.

Beta: Thanks Janie. Your help is very much appreciated.

 

SWITZERLAND 

 

"Jack, honey – can we talk for a few minutes?" Lureen asked Jack as he was heading into his study with a freshly opened beer in his hand.

 

"Sure enough, Lureen. What's you got on your mind?" Jack joined his wife in the foyer of their Childress home.

 

"We need to talk. It's important. Would you rather do it in your study or in the living room?"

 

"Up to you." Jack smiled a nervous little smile wondering what his wife had on her mind. He hoped it wasn't another trip she wanted him to take. Next week was his time to take off for Wyoming and he didn't want anything to interfere with that.

 

"Well, let's go in here then." She led him into the living room and seated herself in one of the plush purple velvet chairs while Jack sat himself on the couch with his long legs stretched out in front of him trying to appear more relaxed that he actually was.

 

"You know I love you, don't you? I mean I always have every since we first met. You know that, don't you?" She smiled sweetly at him but she was picking nervously at her 

nails as she spoke.

 

"'Course I do. What's this all about?" Jack was becoming more and more nervous as the silence spread out between them.

 

"It's about you and me." Lureen said after taking a deep breath. Actually it's about somethin' that I wanna do."

 

"What would that be?"

 

"I wanna move."

 

"I thought you loved this house?" Jack was surprised as many times as she had remodeled the place he thought she loved it.

 

"I do but that isn't the point."

 

"Well what is the point then? If you love this house why do you want to move?"

 

"I wanna move to Switzerland." Lureen dropped the bomb and waited for the explosion.

 

"Is Bobby havin' trouble over there? We never should a sent him so far away."

 

"No, honey, it's not that. He loves it over there and so do I. I want to move there."

 

"What the hell for? He'll be finished with school in a couple a years and movin' back here. And what would I do in Switzerland?" Jack took a long drink of beer to quell the panic he felt rising inside of him.

 

"It's a beautiful country, Jack, if you'd just fly over there with me and take a look." She paused for a heart beat knowing he'd never agree to that. "I've made up my mind, Jack. I've already talked it over with our attorney and he's looking for a buyer for the business.

Once it's sold, I'm putting the house on the market and I'm leaving."

 

"And I ain't got no say in the matter?" Jack lit a cigarette after carefully setting his beer down in a crystal coaster on the coffee table. 

 

"I knew you wouldn't want to go. That's not any surprise. But, Jack honey, I'm going."

 

The steam began to rise in him then and he stood up and began to pace. "Then you'll be going without me." He said coldly.

 

"I figured as much. I told the attorney to work out some kind of settlement."

 

"Settlement?" Jack asked as his entire world seemed to be crumbling beneath his feet.

 

"Divorce settlement. I don't see why we can't do this in a civil manner." Lureen said as she lit a cigarette with shaking hands. "I'll see to it that you're well taken care of."

 

Jack stared at her in shock. She was asking him for a divorce! It just dawned on him.

 

"You're wantin' a divorce?"

 

"I think it's best, Jack. We been together twenty years now and they were good years. I don't have any complaints. But with Daddy and Momma both gone now, I don't wanna stay around here any longer. Bobby always yearned for the big cities so even when he finishes school, he won't be comin' here to live. He's talking about New York City. His friend at school is from there. His daddy runs this big advertising firm and Bobby's thinkin' he might like to try that."

 

 

"Advertising?" What the hell kind of career is that?"

 

"Its big business, is what it is, Jack. There's lots of money in it and Bobby seems to have a real flair for it."

 

"It sounds like a stupid job to me."

 

"It don't matter what it sounds like to either one of us, Jack. It's what he wants to do and we don't have any say it in."

 

Jack stood staring out the front window wondering if he could find a job somewhere else – Wyoming maybe. The thought sent a little thrill through him and his mind went into over-drive thinking that if he lived up there he might get to see Ennis more often – maybe weekends or at least once a month.

 

Lureen walked over to stand next to him. "You'd be all right with a divorce then?"

 

"Honey, if livin' in Switzerland is what you want then I guess it's what you need to do. I'll find somethin' to do." He smiled down at her with what he hoped looked like a sad little smile. He didn't want her to see the euphoria that was building inside him.

 

"Oh, Jack! You won't have to worry. I'll see to it that you never want for anything."

 

"I can take care of myself. I'm sure I can find a job somewhere." Jack's chin went up in defiance.

 

"You don't have a clue how much I'm worth, do you?" She smiled indulgently at him.

 

"I know you got money, Lureen, how much ain't never been none of my business."

 

"But it is your business now that we're divorcing. I want you to know that you marrin' me when I needed you to, meant the world to me. Daddy would have shipped me off to one of them homes for un-wed mothers and I'd a never got to raise Bobby. I intend to see to it that you get a sizeable settlement. You could get yourself that ranch you've always talked about – maybe up in Wyomin' near your folks. Whatever you want to do, Jack, you'll be able to do it now."

 

"So when's all this due to take place?" Jack asked wondering if he was going to have to put off his trip to see Ennis.

 

"I'm supposed to meet the attorney tomorrow morning at nine o'clock. I was hoping you would go with me. I want you to read the papers over carefully and if you have no objections to anything in them, we can get them signed and the lawyer can handle it from there – unless, of course, you want to get your own lawyer?"

 

"Nah, I don't need no lawyer. So we sign the papers and it will all be done and over with tomorrow?"

 

"If you have no objections to any of the terms that he's worked up, it will be. He said that he can file the papers with the court and handle the rest for us."

 

"I see. They you're plannin' on movin' right away?"

 

"Uh huh. Next week – as long as you don't have any objections. I know you're huntin' trip is next week and there's no reason at all for you to postpone that. I know how much that means to you."

 

"What about the business? You won't be needin' me to help with anythin'?"

 

"No, honey. It's all being taken care of." She reached out and took her husband's hand. "You gonna be all right with this?"

 

"Oh yeah … sure. I'm just a little lost in thought right now." Jack said as he gave her hand a little squeeze. "I got some thinkin' to do."

 

"Of course. And I've got to get some sleep. I appreciate you bein' sweet about this, Jack. I just knew you would be." She reached up and kissed him on the cheek and left him alone to stare out the window and think.

 

xxxxxx

 

It took a little over an hour the next morning in the attorney's office. Lureen insisted that the papers were gone over paragraph by paragraph to make sure that she and Jack both understood everything in every line.

 

"Lureen, honey, there's no reason in the world why I should be gettin' twenty five percent of your business."

 

"Yes there is! I never could have built it up the way I did without your help and I'm takin' the lion's share anyway at fifty percent and Bobby gets the other twenty five percent. I want you to have it."

 

"And all the rest of this – Lureen, you're gonna need this money if you're gonna be livin' in a foreign country and flyin' all around and stuff. I told you, all I need is just my pickup and my campin' gear. The rest is yours."

 

"There's plenty for all of us, Jack. Bobby's well taken care of for life with what Momma left him in his trust fund and with the sale of the business there will be even more. You got this comin', Jack, you earned it. In more ways than I can ever count."

 

"I assure you, Mr. Twist, that your wife can well afford this generous settlement. Now if you'll both just sign in the places that I've indicated, I can get these papers filed with the court."

 

They signed all the various copies, thanked the lawyer and left. Lureen went on to some meeting she had and Jack went home. He fixed himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table in a daze. He pulled out the check and looked at it again. Five hundred thousand dollars! He kept reading it over and over again. He'd never had that much money in his life and never dreamed that he would.

 

He knew that Lureen's family had big money and that she was the only heir after both her parents died but he never dreamed she was that rich. He held in his hand a check for five hundred thousand dollars and just signed papers guaranteeing him one hundred thousand dollars a year for the rest of his life. He was rich! Richer than his wildest dreams! He could get that ranch in Wyoming now – he could do whatever he wanted! He didn't even have to work if he didn't want to! A thousand possible and impossible things flew across his mind.

 

He decided the first thing he needed to do was to go into work and clean out his desk. He didn't have much there but he wanted it. There was a fine pen and pencil set that Bobby had given him for Christmas last year and he had just sold a combine yesterday, he wanted to get the paperwork finished up on that one. So he took off for the office.

 

Lureen was standing out in the parking lot with two men as he drove up. He parked in his usual space around back and went in. By the time he got to his office, Lureen joined him there.

 

"That was the new buyer." She told him as he tossed his hat up on the rack and sat down behind his desk. "He's thrilled with the terms and is working out the financing now. I'd say this is a done deal."

 

"Well that's good. I just came in to clean out my desk and I wanted to finish up the paperwork on that combine I sold yesterday." Jack said as he pulled out the folder.

 

"I'm not going to stay this mornin' either. I've just got too many things to do." Lureen said then added as she turned to leave. "You wouldn't by any chance, have any interest in a motor home would you?"

 

"A motor home?" Jack asked thinking immediately of a trailer.

 

"Yeah, one of those big ole fancy things, about the size of a Greyhound bus. Jenkins isn't going to be able to pay for that combine you sold him a couple months ago. He's talking bankruptcy but he wants to keep the combine. He's offered to trade his motor home for it. It's only a few years old and he gave an arm and a leg for it. I know how you like to camp and all. I thought you might be interested. I told him to bring it on over and we'd take a look."

 

"That ain't exactly the kind of campin' I do but I'll be happy to take a look at it. When's he bringin' it in?" 

 

"He said this mornin'. I expect him any time. If you want the thing, just let me know and we can cancel out his bill before we turn the business over."

 

"Won't it rightfully go to the new owners?"

 

"No. We've got about half a dozen deals pending and none of those are included in the sale."

 

"OK. Call me when it shows up." He said as she left his office. He worked for about an hour then finished up and took the folder to the front desk for the gal to process. He was about to return to his office when he saw the big motor home pull up out front. 

 

Lureen came out of her office and went to meet the gentleman who climbed down out of it. She escorted him back to her office and tossed Jack the keys on the way. Jack took them and went out to have a look.

 

He had seen these things on the highway but had never been in one before. He was stunned when he stepped inside. The thing was huge – forty feet long! The interior was plush with beige leather upholstery and soft carpeting beneath his feet. Behind the driver's area there was a couch with two chairs across from it, next the kitchen area with a table and two chairs and a perfect little kitchenette with a built in micro wave oven. Next came a washer/dryer on one side and a large bathroom on the other side with a huge whirl-pool bathtub. Last was the bedroom with a king-sized bed and closets all across the back. He sat down on the edge of the bed and thought for a moment of Ennis and him enjoying this bed.

 

In a flash, his plans began to come together. He went inside to Lureen's office and gave her a nod in the doorway then went back to his office and began to clean out his desk. He was just finishing up when Lureen came in and handed him a piece of paper. It was the title to the motor home with his name listed as the new owner.

 

"You sure about this, Lureen?" Jack asked as he came around the desk towards her.

 

"Positive. We'll just consider this a little goin'-away gift for you bein' so nice about the divorce and all."

 

He took her in his arms and gave her a hug. "You've been so generous with me – I don't know what to say."

 

"Just say that we can still be friends. I don't wanna lose you out of my life completely, Jack. We're just in different places right now and we want different things. I know you'll end up on a ranch somewhere sooner or later. It's what you've always wanted. And I know you've always known that I'm a city gal. I'll probably end up gettin' a place in New York near Bobby. I've been there several times and I love it. But that don't mean we can't visit … see each other a couple times a year at least."

 

"Of course!" Jack readily agreed, knowing that there was no way in hell he was going to New York and he doubted she'd ever come to Wyoming. "And as soon as I find me a place, I'll get a phone and we can keep in touch that way."

 

"So you think you'll be able to use that motor home then?"

 

"I think so." Jack shook his head.

 

"Jenkins said there was a book inside one of the cabinets that has all the motor home parks across the country listed in it. He said the insurance is paid for the next year and the papers are in a drawer somewhere but you best keep track of it and get it changed into your name first chance you get."

 

"I'll do that. I'm thinkin' I'll head on up to Wyomin'."

 

"I figured. You be careful in that thing now."

 

"Oh I will. I know it's big but it ain't much bigger than most of that machinery that I've been hauling around."

 

"Well, he said it's all gassed up and ready to go. He's happy as a clam to have his debt paid so I guess it worked out well all around." She smiled at him.

 

"If you don't need me for anything else, I'll probably take off in a couple hours then. I need to go home and pack."

 

"No, there's nothin' else. You go on now and have a good time, Jack. I want you to be happy – you know that."

 

"Yes, honey, I know that. That's what I want for you too." He gave her a little hug.

 

"I know and I will be once I get over there with Bobby. I just can't stand bein' so far away from him."

 

"He'll do fine, Lureen. He's a good boy and he has your brains. He'll do well in this advertisin' or whatever else he might decide on doin'."

 

"I know he will. He has a good heart just like his daddy's." She smiled one last smile at him then added, "I'll send you the final divorce papers and anything else that comes up soon as you get me an address. You can send the new one to the lawyer since I don't have an address yet myself. His address is on that little card he gave you. I'll be checkin' in with him from time to time."

 

"I'll do it. You take care now, honey." He gave her a peck on the cheek.

 

"I will. You too," and she was out the door and gone.

 

xxxxxx

 

By noon, he was out on the highway sailing along with his pickup hitched on behind the motor home and he was heading north. He put the radio on full blast and was singing along with the songs on the country station when King Of The Road came on. He grinned at first because that was what he felt like. He WAS king of the road! Then a shiver went through him when he remembered years before driving up to Wyoming with thoughts of him and Ennis taking off and getting a place together. That was a bad time. 

 

He debated whether of not he should call Ennis and let him know he was coming but decided against it. He wasn't going to let anything Ennis said make him go running off with hurt feelings. He was too happy right now. His life was his own now to do what he wanted to with it. First thing he planned to do was hit Lightning Flat and visit a bit with his folks and see how they were doing. Then he would start driving around and figuring out where he wanted to find a place. 

 

He stopped for the night at a campground on the outskirts of Denver. He paced the floor trying to decide whether or not to call Ennis. It was middle of the week so he knew he wouldn't get to see him before the weekend. He finally sat down, picked up the phone and dialed the number. It rang and rang and rang. No answer. He dialed it three more times to make sure he was dialing the right number and still there was no answer.

 

Worry settled in then and he smoked and paced the floor some more. He tried again and again and gave up at ten o'clock. He was tired and sleepy and figured something must be wrong with Ennis's phone. He remembered Ennis telling him he got the phone at a church rummage sale. 

 

He tried again first thing in the morning but it was after seven when he woke up and he knew Ennis would already be at work so he grabbed a quick bite of breakfast and got back on the road.

 

He stopped in Douglas long enough to hit a grocery store and stocked up on food and supplies. He fixed himself a couple peanut butter sandwiches and sat at his little table eating and trying to decide if he should head on up to Lightning Flat or if he should turn west for Riverton. 

 

In less than two hours he was in Riverton. He stopped at a gas station, filled up and checked out the phone booth. He looked for trailer parks and saw there were three of them in town. He put his quarters in the slot and called the first one. No, they didn't have an Ennis del Mar living there. The second one did, in spot number seventeen. He thanked her and asked for directions.

 

He spent the next several hours sitting in front of Ennis's trailer and waiting for him to come home. He waited all night and watched the trailer for any signs of life. There were none. He finally fell asleep on the couch. He woke up the next morning feeling stiff and sore and scared. Where the heck was Ennis? He hadn't mentioned anything about going off on any round up or buying trip last time they spoke.

 

He was startled by a knock on his door. He went over and answered it.

 

"Are you lookin' for Mr. del Mar?" An old woman in her seventies asked him.

 

"I am. Do you have any idea where he is?"

 

"I sure enough do!" She said, with a gap-toothed grin. "You the fella that called about him yesterday?"

 

"I am. Can you tell me where he is?"

 

"He's in the hospital. Broke his leg or his hip or somethin'. Took a fall out at the ranch where he works."

 

"Where's the hospital?" Jack asked and took off the minute the woman finished explaining how to get there. 

 

He found a place to park and went inside. He hated hospitals. He'd spent plenty of time in them himself with all his rodeo injuries. The hospital smell gave him a queasy feeling but he got directions and hurried to Ennis's room. The door was propped open so he walked inside.

 

The first bed in the room was empty so he went on over to the curtained off area. He could hear voices speaking softly and thought about turning back. What if it was Alma? He didn't know what he'd to if he came face to face with her. He peeked carefully around the curtain and saw it was an elderly man, a younger woman and a small boy about four years old sitting on the side of Ennis' bed.

 

Ennis was flat on his back, one leg propped up on some pillows and encased in a white cast. The head of the bed was raised and Ennis was looking at the boy and speaking softly to him.

 

"I'll be just fine, Jimmy. Don't you worry none."

 

Jack stepped around the curtain and they all looked up at him.

 

"Hi," Jack said, "I heard about your accident, Ennis, and come to see how you're feelin'."

 

"Jack, this here is my boss, Mr. Cole, his daughter Emma, and grandson Jimmy. This here is a buddy of mine, Jack Twist." Ennis made the introductions trying to sound casual.

 

Jack removed his hat, shook hands with Mr. Cole and Jimmy and nodded to Emma. Greetings completed, the others made their excuses and left. Jack came around and sat down on the side of the bed.

 

"What the hell happened, Ennis?"

 

"Jack, what are you doin' here?" They spoke at the same time.

 

"I tried and tried to call you – I got news to tell you but I got real scared when you didn't answer the phone. How bad are you hurt and why didn't you call me?"

 

"I just busted my leg, Jack. It'll be all right in a couple a weeks. You're early. We wasn't set to meet until next week. I figured to call you this weekend when I get out of here."

 

"Well, I'm here now so tell me – what happened?"

 

"Jimmy there, he's a little climber. He made it almost to the top of the big old cottonwood tree out at the ranch and he couldn't get back down so I went up after him."

 

"He didn't fall? He didn't look like he had a scratch on him."

 

"Nah, he didn't fall. I managed to get him down far enough to hand him off to his grandpa but I no sooner done that than that old branch snapped and tossed me. I must a landed crooked or somethin'."

 

"You're lucky you didn't break your sweet neck!" Jack reached over and squeezed his hand.

 

Ennis squeezed back then asked, "So what's your big news and why you here a week early?"

 

"You ain't gonna believe it but I'm a free man."

 

"Free?"

 

"Uh huh. Lureen asked me for a divorce. She wants to move to Switzerland where Bobby is goin' to that fancy school. She offered me a sweet deal, Ennis, and I took her up on it. The papers are all signed, it's a done deal. I'm free now and she give me a sweet settlement – more money than either you or I ever dreamed of."

 

"And you're all right with that? I mean, bein' divorced and all?"

 

"Sure. Why wouldn't I be? We both got our freedom now to do whatever we want. She goes off to travel the world and be with Bobby and I get to move up here to Wyomin'."

 

"You movin' back? To Lightnin' Flat?"

 

"No. Not to Lightnin' Flat. I don't wanna live in no big city for sure but Lightnin' Flat can't hardly even be called a town. There just ain't much left of it. I'll find a place somewhere."

 

"You ain't thinkin' Riverton?" 

 

"No way! I'm gonna find me a place and I'm gonna need help runnin' it. I don't suppose you know of anyone who might be able to give me a hand, do you?" He grinned widely.

 

"Now Jack …" 

 

"I know, I know. You don't want the job. I'll just have to find someone else who needs the work, who knows how to work with stock and is willing to put up with me." Jack lowered his eyes. "There must be someone out there who will be willing to work with me."

 

"Jack, it ain't that and you know it." He grabbed Jack's hand back and gave it a squeeze.

 

"Well, I haven't even got a place yet so let's don't worry about it right now. How long you gonna have to stay here?"

 

"Doc says I can leave any time. I been tryin' to get Junior on the phone but there's no answer. She said somethin' about them takin' off on vacation this month so they musta already left. I could call my sister in Casper but I ain't seen her in years. I'd really hate to do that. 

 

"That's tough. You got no family to turn to and apparently no friends who could look after you."

 

"Jack … I couldn't ask you to do that."

 

"You ain't askin', Ennis. I am. Let me at least do this. I can take care of you till you're back on your feet. There's no way you'll be able to work for at least a couple a months."

 

"I can't be off work that long."

 

"You got no choice, Cowboy. Once you broke that leg, the choice was taken away from you. You won't be no good at work for some time."

 

From the look on Ennis' face, Jack knew that he had just repeated something that Ennis had already heard. "Is that what the Doc said?"

 

"Uh huh. But, Jack, I can't be off work that long!"

 

"First thing we need to worry about is getting you out of here." He reached over and pushed the call button at the side of Ennis' bed.

 

"Jack, I don’t know about this. What will people think?"

 

"They'll think that you got hurt and a friend came to look after you. What would be more normal than that?"

 

The nurse came through the door then and Jack told her that Ennis was ready to leave and that he would be taking care of him until he was back on his feet. She left to get the doctor's OK for the discharge. She came back thirty minutes later with the paperwork and a wheel chair.

 

They wrestled Ennis into his clothes after Jack took his knife and cut the leg off his jeans so they could be slipped over the cast that went half way up his thigh. Before they knew it, they were outside in the parking lot and wheeling Ennis over to the motor home.

 

"Where the hell did you get that!" Ennis was in a state of shock when Jack stood in front of the door fumbling for his keys. "Did you rent this thing?"

 

"Nope, it's mine. I'll explain later." Jack said as he and the orderly helped Ennis up into the motor home. Jack insisted that they take him back to the bedroom and got him all set up with pillows propped all around him. The orderly brought in the crutches, handed them to Jack, wished them luck then left.

 

Jack read the instructions the doctor had left and checked the timing for more pain pills.

 

"Just throw them things away. I don't want 'em. They make me sleepy." Ennis insisted.

 

"It says you're due in about an hour and you're supposed to take them with food. You haven't had lunch yet, have you?"

 

"No. I got some canned stuff back at my trailer I can fix."

 

"I've got stuff here, Ennis. Tell you what – you rest up and I'll drive us someplace where I can park this rig and I'll fix us some lunch. How about that?"

 

"Jack, we gotta be careful. A rig like this in Riverton is gonna cause a lot of interest."

 

"We'll be careful. And unless people here in Riverton got X-ray vision there ain't no way they can see who I got in here." He stood up from the edge of the bed where he'd been sitting and headed towards the front. "There's a rest stop out on the highway about thirty miles out of town. I'll head for that and then we'll stop and have lunch. You be OK with that?"

 

Ennis shook his head with relief.

 

Thirty minutes later, Jack pulled off the highway and into the small rest stop. He went back to check on Ennis first then got lunch started. He took the two pills that Ennis was supposed to take and dropped them into the stew and stirred until they were completely dissolved then took the bowl into him along with some bread and a cup of coffee.

 

"Here we go." He went back into the kitchen, got his own lunch and came back in and sat down on the bed beside Ennis. "I don't have one of them fancy bed tables so we'll just have to use this broiler pan instead."

 

"Its fine, Jack. I really appreciate this." He started spooning the stew into his mouth.

 

"I got some of those canned peaches that you like so much for dessert. You eat up now and I'll tell you how I come to own this rig."

 

"I'd like to hear about that." Ennis said and kept eating.

 

Jack told him the story about how he came to own the rig and went on and on about how comfortable it was and how easy it was to drive. Ennis finished his second cup of coffee along with a can of peaches while he listened.

 

"You was lucky, Jack."

 

"I was for a fact. I was thinkin' just now while I was drivin' us here. Since you won't be doin' nothin' for a few weeks – maybe you could help me pick out a place? I could find a real estate office somewhere and find out what's available. We could drive out and take a look and you can let me know if you think the ground is any good. It all just looks like dirt to me."

 

"It is all dirt, Jack, but there's good dirt and bad dirt." Ennis said with a yawn.

 

"Well, I don't know how to tell the difference so if you could help me, I'd really appreciate it. You wouldn't have to go in or see anyone or nothin'. I could drive this rig there and bring you in a handful of dirt or if you wanted to get out and try out your crutches, we could do that too."

 

"I'll need to be doin' that soon enough. I can't lay around in bed all the time."

 

"So how long you been in bed already? When did you take that fall?"

 

"Four days ago and I'm sick of bein' in bed already."

 

"So how come they keep you in the hospital so long? When I busted my leg I was out the next day."

 

"Cause mine got busted in two places and they had to operate and put a coupla pins in to keep it in place."

 

"Ouch. I been busted up and stuck in bed a time or two myself and I hated it. Tell you what. I got this book that has campgrounds listed. I'll see if there's one around here somewhere and we can set up camp."

 

Jack went up front and got out the book, brought it back and started thumbing through it. In a few minutes Ennis was fast asleep. Jack grinned, gave Ennis a kiss and removed all the lunch debris. He cleaned up the dishes then sat down and looked until he found a campground with full hookups up at Guffy Park, north of Riverton and they were off.

 

He pulled into the park and stopped at the office then found out that he didn't need to stop at the office at all since he had a park pass on his window. He was told to just drive around and pick out any place he wanted.

 

In no time he found a place back away from everyone else so there was plenty of room for his rig with the pickup on behind. He got out and struggled with the hook ups but got everything set and went back inside. Ennis was awake.

 

"Jack? Everything OK?" He called out.

 

"Couldn't be better. We're all set up now." Jack came back into the bedroom after stopping to wash his hands first. "You doin' OK?"

 

"Yeah. Where are we?"

 

"Guffy Park. You ever been here before?"

 

"Sure enough. Long time ago though. K.E. and me camped out in the woods here years ago."

 

"I figured tomorrow maybe we'd drive into Thermopolis and see if we can find a real estate place that can give us an idea what's available around here."

 

"Uh huh. And just north of here is Worland in Washakie County. There's some nice old places up around there or over in Johnson County to the east up around Buffalo."

 

"You think the land up in this part of the state is better than down around Casper or Cheyenne?"

 

"Not necessarily but the places closer to the bigger cities are usually the bigger ranches – thousands of acres – and that would take a whole work gang to run. I don't think you're lookin' for a place that big – are you?"

 

"Nah. The folks got three hundred acres. I was figuring something about that size. I ain't lookin' to make a killin'."

 

"That's good because nobody's makin' a killin' in the beef market no more. You best be plannin' on a whole lot of ways to make money."

 

"How do I do that? I was just plannin' on getting' some cows and a bull and lettin' nature take its course and sell off the calves."

 

"That's what a lot of people think but it takes a lot more than that to make a go of a place, Jack."

 

"I ain't afraid of hard work, Ennis."

 

"It ain't just the work, Jack. You gotta know where to put the work in that counts. You could kill yourself working on fence repair when your time and labor would best be spent elsewhere."

 

"I thought a good fence was the most important thing in ranchin'."

 

"It's important, but gettin' good grass in is just as important. Gettin' enough hay baled and growin' enough grain to feed your stock through the winter is just as important. And you gotta know your stock, when to retire or sell off your bulls and how to pick a new one."

 

"You reckon I can find me a ranch manager that can do all that?"

 

"I don't know but that's what you need."

 

"I was kinda hopin' to try my hand at horse breedin' too. I know Pa is always gripin' about beef prices being in the toilet but there always seems to be a need for good horses."

 

"That's a fact. You can't go wrong if you get yourself a good stallion and some brood mares. You'll always be able to sell off a healthy colt. You might want to consider some pigs and goats too."

 

"Don't they stink to high heaven?" Jack wrinkled up his nose.

 

"They do. But they're easy to care for and they're natural born garbage disposers. And goats will keep the snakes away and keep the weeds down that the other stock won't touch."

 

"I didn't know that."

 

"You might want to get yourself some chickens too. There's always a market for eggs."

 

"That's a good idea."

 

"Do you know how to milk a cow?"

 

"No way."

 

"You need to learn these things, Jack. You need to get yourself a milk cow and pick up a used churn somewhere and make your own butter and buttermilk."

 

"You know how to do all that?"

 

"Uh huh. And you need to learn how."

 

"Will you teach me?"

 

"Not much I can teach you while I'm flat on my back." Ennis said and grinned at the devilish expression on Jack's face. "Jack fuckin' Twist! You know what I mean!"

 

"Relax. I'm not going to jump your bones and ravish your body – though I have to admit the thought has crossed my mind. But then I remember what it felt like when I broke my leg. It hurt like hell and the last thing I was interested in at the time was sex." Jack grinned.

 

"It's not that I ain't interested, Jack." Ennis smiled apologetically.

 

"I know. And if you'd a walked into my hospital room and drug me away, I might a given it some thought but you don't need no jostlin' around right now. You need to rest."

 

"What I need is to take a piss. This thing got a john?" Ennis tried to get up.

 

"Yep. I real nice one. Just a minute. I'll get your crutches." Jack went up front, got them and brought them back. He found Ennis sitting on the side of the bed holding his head.

 

"A little dizzy there?" Jack asked and sat down beside Ennis and massaged the back of his neck.

 

"Yeah a bit." 

 

"I should a warned you. You gotta be real careful about that for a while."

 

Ennis tried standing up again and this time Jack was there to help him. He steadied him for a minute then helped him place the crutches just right. 

 

"Go easy now and just take small steps. I'll be right here beside you." The two of them struggled into the bathroom with Jack hovering all the way.

 

"I never been in a john this fancy, Jack." Ennis commented as he stood staring at the plush bathroom.

 

"Yeah, it's nice. It's even nicer now with you in it." Jack smiled.

 

"I ain't never seen a bathtub that big neither." Ennis said and sighed as he relieved himself.

 

"Once you get your cast off, you can soak in it. It'll make that leg feel a world better."

 

"I won't be here that long. I gotta be gettin' back to work as soon as this cast is off."

 

"We'll have to wait and see what the doctor says. You may not be able to put any weight on that leg for a while even after the cast is off and you're able to walk without the crutches. That was one of the things they told me when I broke my leg. No heavy lifting for a couple a months even after the cast was off."

 

"Jack, I gotta work." He shook himself and stuffed it back in his jeans while Jack flushed and helped him over to the sink to wash.

 

"It ain't nothin' we need to be worryin' about right now. All you need to be thinkin' about is feelin' better. And I aim to see that you do!" Jack handed him the towel then helped him out into the small living room where he took a seat on the couch. Jack sat beside him.

 

"This is a pretty fancy-assed rig, Jack. I never figured you to have somethin' like this."

 

"Me neither, Cowboy. It just sorta fell into my lap and I didn't see no reason to say no. And now, with you busted up and all, it's gonna be perfect."

 

Ennis smiled at him and reached over and took his hand. "Any time I'm with you, Jack, it's perfect – whether we're out in the woods or in a shitty motel or in a fancy rigged up bus like this one."

 

Jack choked up a bit and pulled Ennis into a hug. "That's 'cause we belong together, Ennis. We always have."

 

"I know. If things were different …"

 

"Things are different, Cowboy." Jack pulled back and sat facing him. "Our kids are grown and out on their own now. It's a whole different world out there than it was twenty years ago."

 

"Not about everythin', Jack."

 

"No, not everythin', you're right about that, but we're a lot smarter than we were back then and you were right. We'd a probably got ourselves in some big trouble back then if we'd a just took off somewhere."

 

"We'd be dead for sure."

 

"But we made it, Cowboy, because of your good sense. We're forty two now – old enough and smart enough to know how to take care of ourselves – how to be careful of things."

 

"Jack …" Ennis was getting uncomfortable with the conversation.

 

"I ain't askin' for anythin', Cowboy. Just that you help me pick out a ranch right now. You need someone to look after you for a bit and there's no reason why I can't look after you while we drive around in this motor home lookin' for me a ranch. It'd be a hell of a lot better than you layin' up in a bed somewhere with one of your daughters or your sister takin' care of you."

 

"Uh huh. I'd really hate that."

 

"I know you would. And you'd be tryin' to do for yourself and probably take a lot longer to heal up if you was just layin' there all the time or stumblin' around your trailer. This way, you can sit up front here with me while we drive around and when you get tired or your leg gets to hurtin', you can sit here on the couch and prop it up or go in back and lay down. This way you're restin' but gettin' out and seein' things at the same time."

 

"That sure sounds nice, Jack."

 

"Well good; that's settled then. You can ride co-pilot for me and navigate our way." He got up and got the road atlas and tossed it in Ennis' lap and followed that with the campground guide.

 

Ennis opened the atlas and folded it back to Wyoming and set the campground guide aside for the moment.

 

"You thinkin' of a place in this area?" Ennis asked as his eyes wandered over the map of Wyoming.

 

"Uh huh. It's close to you. I figured if I was close enough I could get you to come up on weekends and maybe give me a hand when I need it."

 

"Jack, I'll help when I can but we gotta be careful."

 

"I know. And I know I can't rely on you to be there for me all the time. That's why I'm gonna need a ranch manager. You think you could help me find one? I'll pay to advertise if that's what it takes but how will I know if he can handle the job or not?"

 

"You find someone you like and I'll talk with him – see if he knows his stuff."

 

"I'd really appreciate that, Cowboy."

 

"This is a good area to be lookin'. I remember that place K.E. and me worked at up near Worland – it had some good soil."

 

"So good soil is the most important thing to look for?"

 

"Pretty much. That and a good source of water. You'll need to check out the wells in whatever area you decide on – make sure the area ain't havin' trouble with their wells durin' the summer time. Best thing would be if you could get a piece of land with a nice creek that flowed year round but those places are hard to come by and runnin' water on a land increases the cost."

 

"What would you need a creek for if you got a good well?"

 

"You could always set up an irrigation system with the creek water. During a drought you wouldn't wanna use your well water for that; you'd wanna keep it for the house for drinkin' and cookin' and cleanin'."

 

"So a creek would be more or less an insurance policy?"

 

"Yeah. If it's big enough. If it's just a little thing, it would probably go dry during a drought."

 

"I see. That makes sense. I wish I knew all this stuff that you do."

 

"It's stuff you'll learn about once you get into ranchin' for any length of time – stuff a lot of people don't think about. One place I worked on years ago had a nice stream on it and the owner complained constantly about it takin' up good land that he could use for somethin' else, or the mosquitoes it brought or a dozen other things. I told him he'd be happy he had it if a drought come but he never saw that. He up and sold out after a few years."

 

"And you lost your job?"

 

"I did. But that one I didn't mind losin'. That guy had more money than brains and if there's one thing I hate it's workin' for a fool."

 

"I can see where that would be unpleasant."

 

"Uh huh."

 

"And this Mr. Cole that you're workin' for now – you like him?"

 

"I do, Jack. He's a good man. He knows what needs doin' and he ain't above gettin' out and gettin' dirty and puttin' his shoulder to it if the job takes more men than he's got available. He's a fair man and he treats his people with respect. He come up the hard way himself. Used to be a ranch-hand but married into money. The ranch used to belong to his wife's people."

 

"I'm glad for you. It must be nice workin' for someone you like. I hated workin' for Lureen' old man. He never let me forget for one minute that the only reason I was even in his presence was because I was married to Lureen. He always treated me like I was somethin' he wanted to scrape off the bottom of his boot. I tell you, Cowboy, I was one happy bastard at his funeral. I had to work hard at keepin' a sad face that day."

 

"That's a shame. Glad that's over with for you. Sorry about your marriage though."

 

"Don't be. I ain't. It's somethin' I've been thinkin' about for years now. I always thought that once Bobby was outta school and off on his own that I'd somehow manage to move back up here to Wyomin' where I belong. I just figured it'd be a few more years yet and I never figured Lureen to bring it up."

 

"The two of you didn't have a fight or nothin'?"

 

"Nope. She just got to missin' Bobby so much I guess. They always been real close. All she talked about this last year since he went over there to Switzerland, was how much she missed him."

 

"If she missed him so much why did she send him so far away?"

 

"It was something her folks set up right after Bobby was born. They checked around and found that Switzerland had the best schools in the world and they paid for a full four-year tuition for him including livin' expenses and everythin'. I kind a figured he'd get home sick after a few months and want to come home but turns out, he loves it there."

 

"Well it's good he likes it."

 

"Yeah. Lureen loves it over there too."

 

"You didn't never go?"

 

"Nah. I don't care much for flyin'. I done some of it for the business but didn't care for it at all."

 

"I never done no flyin' and I don't plan to."

 

"Hope I never have to again neither." They sat in quiet thought for a few moments than Jack asked, "So how hard do you think it will be for me to find me a ranch manager?"

 

"Can't rightly say. First you gotta find yourself a place. Then you can ask around in that area and see what shows up. If nothin' shows, then you throw your loop a little wider and start advertisin'. That can get costly but it's worth a try."

 

"OK. I got ya. If you was out to buy a place where would you look?"

 

"Well, I think this is a good area you're lookin' in." Ennis said as he studied the map.

 

"Why do you think so many ranches fail? You think it's all from bad management?"

 

"No. Ranchin' around here is usually a family business. Least they start out that way. Then the kids grow up and move off and the old folks are stuck. They can't afford to hire help and the place slowly starts to sink. And then there are those who insist on doin' everythin' exactly they way their Pa's did and don't modernize. Times change and you gotta be willin' to change with them or you're left behind."

 

"What do you mean by 'modernize'?"

 

"By up-datin' your equipment, tryin' new and different grass seed, takin' your stock to a different market once in a while and most important you gotta keep an eye on everything every minute. You gotta check around and see which market is bringin' in the best prices, which grass your cows do best on, which grain packs on the most pounds. You gotta be smart enough to know how to survive when times get tough. Beef prices ain't never gonna be what they once were so if you wanna make it, you gotta use every bit of land you got and make it produce somethin' that can bring in money."

 

Jack was listening raptly.

 

"One old boy I worked for, his son come back home after college and tried to get the old man to do a few of these things – tried to get him to up-grade a bit but the old man was a stubborn fool. Said his daddy's ways were good enough for him and the son took off after about six months of arguin'. You gotta be flexible, Jack. You gotta keep an eye out and make whatever changes are necessary to keep your place makin' money or you might as well forget it."

 

"I have some business experience and I do know how to talk with people. I learned a lot about how to run a business, do research, advertise check out the market and how to sell stuff. I think I can handle that part of the job alright. And the actual work, I don't mind at all. In fact, I always loved gettin' out and workin' on Pa's place each time I went up there. I ain't afraid of hard work. It's just the knowin' exactly what needs to be done and how to best get it done that I don't know so much about."

 

"Well, that's the ranch manager's job. He'll be able to help you out with all that. You figure to be out and doin' the work yourself?"

 

"I do. Not all of it, a course, but I ain't plannin' on sittin' around on no silk pillow watchin' everybody else do all the work – that ain't in me."

 

Ennis leaned back and grinned a bit.

 

"What?" Jack asked. "You figured I was gonna just sit up at the house and let the help do all the work?"

 

"Nah. I was just picturin' you sittin' on a silk pillow – naked."

 

"I can see right now that you're feelin' better." Jack grinned. "You best stop lookin' at me like that or I'll forget that I said there'd be not jostlin' you around."

 

"Well, a little jostlin' probably wouldn't hurt." Ennis grinned.

 

Jack pulled Ennis into his arms then and held him close. "You know I want to, Cowboy, but I think we should wait. The last thing in this world I want to do is cause you any pain. I think I should get up from this couch and start dinner. You hungry?"

 

"I could eat." Ennis answered not wanting to let Jack go.

 

"Then quit lookin' at me like that." Jack pulled away and got up. He stopped after the few steps that took him into the kitchenette and turned back. "I never thought I'd be strong enough to walk away from you but I did it."

 

"You ain't that far away, Jack." Ennis grinned and started unbuttoning his shirt.

 

"Don't you do that!" Jack wagged a finger at him but Ennis didn't listen.

 

"What's that you say? I can't hear ya very good. Why don't you come back over here?" Ennis pulled his shirt off and reached for his jeans snap.

 

"No, Ennis! You'll regret it! Trust me on this one."

 

"Oh I trust you, Jack." He lowered the zipper, lifted up his hips and slid his jeans down working them carefully over his cast.

 

"Damn you, Ennis!" Jack came back over to the couch and Ennis grabbed him and pulled him down on the couch with him – kissing him hungrily.

 

"Ennis …" was the last full word that Jack got out before his mouth was filled with tongue. 

 

A few minutes later Ennis bellowed, "Owww! SON OF A FUCKIN' BITCH!"

 

"I tried to tell you, Cowboy. When you come, it's like an electrical shock shoots through your body, janglin' every nerve you got and when somethin's broken or hurt, it just magnifies it." He tried to comfort Ennis with a little neck massage but all Ennis could do was grimace.

 

"You shoulda told me!"

 

"I tried but you wasn't listenin'." Jack pulled his jeans back on and stood up. "Here, put your legs up. You need to get the hurtin' part up higher than your heart. I'll get some pillows." He hurried into the bedroom and came back with two pillows and propped the injured leg up. "That any better?"

 

"Uh huh. I guess." Ennis grimaced as Jack helped him slide his jeans up over the cast. "Next time I'll listen." He scowled.

 

"No you won't. But next time I'll be stronger. You rest up now. I got some steaks and potatoes. Dinner will be ready in a bit." Jack pulled his shirt on over his head and tossed Ennis his shirt.

 

Ennis grumbled and turned around on the couch so he could watch Jack fixing dinner but he kept that leg propped up.

 

"What?" Jack asked as he stood at the little sink and peeled potatoes.

 

"I said how come you're so smart all the sudden and I'm so dumb."

 

"You ain't dumb, Cowboy. Just inexperienced at bein' busted up."

 

"Well, this is one experience I'd a just a soon done without." Ennis groused.

 

"You saved that little boy's life and in return you got hurt and you gotta miss some work. Isn't his life worth that?"

 

"Yeah, if you wanna put it that way, I guess so."

 

"And you get to spend that time with me lookin' after you. That's worth a little somethin' too; isn't it?"

 

"Uh huh. I reckon that's worth it all." Ennis smiled just a bit.

 

Jack sliced the potatoes and put them in the pan to fry then fiddled with the broiler to get it warming up. He pulled the two steaks out of the refrigerator, un-wrapped them and placed them on the broiler pan then salt and peppered them.

 

"You turned into a pretty good cook, Jack." 

 

"I got a lot of practice. Lureen was always going out to some dinner or other and when she did, and I could get out of goin', I'd do me up somethin' to eat. It ain't all that hard."

 

"I still can't believe you got this bus for nothin'. You don't have payments to make on it or nothin'?"

 

"Nope. It was paid off when I got it and he traded it for the combine that I sold him. It worked out great."

 

"It sure is nice. This ain't nothin' like we're used to campin' in."

 

"That's for sure. We got all the comforts of home right here and we can take it anywhere we want to go."

 

"I never had a home with comforts like this. I never even been in a home that was this fancy."

 

"You wanna eat in there or do you wanna come sit at the table?" Jack asked as he dished up two plates.

 

"I'll come in there." Ennis struggled to get up. 

 

Jack resisted the urge to run help and watched as Ennis manipulated the crutches and got himself over to the table. He placed the two plates on the table and pulled out two cold beers and joined Ennis.

 

"You go out and buy all these dishes or did it come with the bus?"

 

"I didn't buy nothin' but the groceries. It was fully loaded and the guy even gassed it up for me."

 

"I didn't think these looked like somethin' that you'd pick out." Ennis said as he looked at the handle of the silver fork. "It says sterling silver. Means you'll have to be polishin' it I guess."

 

"Don't matter. I think it's kind a nice. True, it ain't what I'd pick out but I ain't tossin' it just cause it's a little fancy."

 

"It looks like it belongs on a bus like this." Ennis said as he cut a piece of steak and ate it.

 

"Uh huh. It'd be a crime to use that old campin' equipment in a rig like this one."

 

"Sure enough," Ennis agreed and mouthed a bite of potatoes.

 

Jack twiddled his fork, lost in thought before saying, "I still can't believe that I'm finally free."

 

"I can't believe it went so easy like. When me and Alma got divorced there was lots of yellin' and cryin' and stuff like that. You didn't have none of that?"

 

"Nope. Lureen's not like that. She really is a good person, Ennis. I guess that's one of the reasons that I stayed with her so long."

 

"You gonna miss her?"

 

"I will … some. 

 

xxxxxx

 

They were into their third week of looking when they heard about a place that was going to be put up for sale from a waitress at Denny's where they had stopped for dinner. A young family had just lost the Daddy in a traffic accident and the young widow was taking her four children and younger brother who had been helping out at the ranch and was moving back to the family home in Southern California. The decision had just been made and they hadn't even spoken to a realtor yet. The waitress gave her friend a call and she came right over to the restaurant to meet them. 

 

She wanted a quick sale and asked when they could come out and take a look at it. After looking it over the next morning, Jack pulled a figure out of mid air and she accepted the offer. One week later Jack was the owner of a four hundred acre ranch which he paid half down and financed the rest.

 

The house was small as ranch houses go but he didn't care about that. It was only a few hour's drive from Riverton – that's all that really mattered to him. That and the fact that Ennis seemed to really like the place and it did indeed have a small stream across the back of the place. The next week after Jack moved in they went into town and placed ads all around for a ranch manager.

 

The previous owner agreed to leave the utilities on and Jack had the billing switched over to his name, including the telephone. He put a small ad in the local newspaper and left notices about needing a ranch manager everywhere he could think of then they went back out to the ranch to wait.

 

The first week there was nothing. Then Jack called up the County Ranch Employment and had them run the ad as well. Slowly the calls started coming in and the interviews began.

 

They talked to a few locals who were too young and inexperienced, a few drifters who hadn't worked at any one place for more than a season, one guy who really wanted the job but was so twitchy and bleary eyed they decided he must be on something and didn't want to risk using him, and various others including two different women who applied. None of them were right for the job.

 

"Ennis, it's been two weeks now and nobody's turned up that we can use." Jack complained as they were driving back to Riverton. "Are you sure you don't want the job? I'll pay you good, you know that, and I'd be easy to work for – not to mention the side benefits."

 

"Jack, that ain't the point and you know it. Once I get this cast off this afternoon, I gotta get back out to Cole's place and get to work. They're expectin' me."

 

"I know you feel all healed up right now but once that cast is off, that leg's still gonna be too weak for you to do much of anything on it and it's gonna hurt like hell once you start tryin' to walk on it without the crutches. It's gonna be weeks yet before you get that leg back to normal – months maybe."

 

"The doc said six weeks and that's up today. I don't mind a little pain, I ain't no baby. Once this thing is off, I gotta get back to work."

 

"OK. OK. Let's just wait and see how you feel once you get the cast off."

 

xxxxxx

 

"Oooowwwww Son of a fuckin' bitch!" Ennis bellowed. "I thought you said I could walk on it after six weeks?" He demanded angrily.

 

"I said you could start walkin' on it again in six weeks. That's how long it takes for the bone to knit up good. I didn't say there wouldn't be some discomfort." The doctor said.

 

"Discomfort! Discomfort?" Ennis argued. "It hurts just as much now as it did when it was first busted!"

 

"Most of that is muscle pain and that's because those muscles haven't been used in so long. You need to start out slowly and take only a few steps at a time on it. It'll get used to bearin' your weight again in a few weeks time and the discomfort will gradually fade away."

 

"Shit! I can't go back to work on crutches!"

 

"Well, I'm sure your boss will understand." The doctor said as he wrote out a prescription for pain pills, tore it off and handed it to Ennis. "Make sure you follow the directions on the label and don't take more than four a day. These are pretty strong. Oh yes, and while you're takin' these, you can't be drivin' or operatin' any heavy machinery. You take care of yourself now and stay outta them trees. You ain't a kid any more." The doctor said as he left the room.

 

Ennis stared at the piece of paper, wadded it up, hurled it across the room, and sat staring at his useless leg.

 

Jack picked it up, smoothed it out and stuck it in his pocket. "I know how you feel, Cowboy, but it ain't all that bad. At least you got someone to look after you till you get back on your feet."

 

"I don't want no body lookin' after me! I can damn well take care of myself!" Ennis slid down off the examining table angrily, putting his full weight on the leg and grimacing as the pain nearly took his breath away.

 

Immediately Jack was at his side with an arm around him to steady him. "These last couple a weeks ain't been all that bad; have they? We'll work out a schedule and I'll massage that leg every day and you'll be back to normal in no time."

 

"Jack, it ain't that I haven't enjoyed ridin' all around with you in that bus of yours but I need to be workin'."

 

"You've been workin' for me. Why don't you let me pay you for your time? You know it would a cost me a pretty penny to get someone to help me find the right place and I'd a hired that first guy who came along askin' about the manager's job. And I still ain't found one. Who knows how many others I'll have to interview before I can find the right one? I'm gonna have to get started doin' somethin' with the place pretty soon. I remember Pa was always busier than a one-armed paper hanger come springtime so there must be lots of stuff I need to be doin'."

 

"No. It ain't right." Ennis shook his head. "You pay me for helpin' you – then I gotta turn around and pay you for helpin' me. This way we're even."

 

"Well, I don't see that nothin's changed then. I still need you to help me until I can get me a ranch manager and you still need help gettin' around. I don't see why we can't just keep doin' what we been doin' these last few weeks."

 

"What about my job, Jack? Mr. Cole needs a ranch manager and if he ain't got one, he's gotta do the work himself and he's gettin' up there, ya know. He ain't no spring chicken no more."

 

"C'mon. Let's hit the road. We can be back at the ranch by dinner time." Jack held out the crutches for Ennis and he took them reluctantly.

 

"I hate these goddamn things!" Ennis complained but took them anyway.

 

"I know. But it's that or I piggy-back you outta here." Jack grinned at him.

 

They made it out to the bus, Ennis grousing all the way.

 

"At least I got that cast off! Now I can scratch my leg!" Ennis said as he settled himself into the co-pilot's seat and they got under way.

 

"Yeah, that's always a blessing. And tonight we'll massage it up all good and you can soak in a hot bath. That'll make it feel a lot better." Jack assured him.

 

"You went through all this? How long did it take you to get back to normal?"

 

"Yeah, I busted my right leg twice and my left ankle once. I hate those damn crutches with a passion too but it's what you need right now unless you want to be carried around all over the place."

 

"Shit, I'd hate that."

 

"I know. Me too. I ain't gonna lie to you, Cowboy; it takes a couple a months before you can walk on it without any pain. And yours was more serious than mine was – you had to have surgery – I didn't. But the doc said the x-ray showed your bone was healed so the pain you're feelin' is from the muscles not being used – not from the break. You'll get it back. It's just gonna take some time and in the meantime, you gotta be careful not to take a fall and injure yourself further."

 

"I know. I know. It's just so damn frustratin'."

 

"It is for a fact, Cowboy, but it's the cards you was dealt so you gotta make the best of it."

 

"I'll try. Just don't expect me to be happy about it."

 

Jack grinned as he happily drove north to the ranch."

 

xxxxxx

 

"What was wrong with that one?" Jack asked Ennis after he walked the latest applicant for the job of ranch manager out to his truck.

 

"Shit, Jack, you don't see it, you're in bigger trouble than I thought."

 

"What?" Jack demanded.

 

"That guy! He was slobberin' all over you! Another five minutes and he'd a been lickin' your balls!" Ennis angrily lit a cigarette and drew deeply on it. "You don't need that kind 'round here."

 

"That kind? Ennis, what are you talkin' about. He answered every one of your questions; didn't he?"

 

"Yeah, he did. He said all the right words, alright, but he never once took his eyes off a you and he had all he could do to keep from droolin' down the front of his fancy-assed shirt."

 

In fact, Jack had indeed noticed and it kind of pleased him seeing how angry Ennis was that another man was coming on to him. Jack grinned inside but managed to keep a straight face.

 

"You mean you don't think he's right for the job because he … kind a liked me?"

 

"Kind a? Kind a?" Ennis stood up as best he could with a crutch under each arm and glared at Jack. "He'd a been in your jeans before sunset the first day!"

 

"You don't think I got the will-power to say 'no'?"

 

"Some guys, sayin' 'no' ain't enough. They see somethin' they want and they go after it. Did you hear his answer when I asked him why he left his last job? 'We had differences of opinions on how things should be handled.'." Ennis quoted. "I'll just bet he had differences! He was sniffin' 'round in some places he shouldn't a. He's lucky they didn't string him up or take a tire iron to him."

 

"You got all that outta a twenty minute interview?" Jack asked.

 

"I got all that after the first five minutes." Ennis brooded.

 

"Well that was the last applicant. Now what do we do?"

 

"Keep lookin' – somethin' will turn up." Ennis assured him.

 

"In the mean time, I just sit on my ass and do nothin'?"

 

"Didn't say that." Ennis hobbled over to the window and looked out. "You think you can handle that John Deere out there in the shed?"

 

"Sure I can. You think that's where we need to start?"

 

"You need to get some grass planted in that south pasture. When did you say you wanted to go to market?"

 

"It ain't market exactly. The fella in town said there was a small herd available over in Johnson County that's available."

 

"We best make plans to get on over there and take a look then – see if they are worth the askin' price. Maybe by the time we get back someone else will turn up."

 

"I'll give 'em a call and see about takin' a look." Jack left the room to use the phone and came back a few minutes later. "I set it up for the weekend". 

 

xxxxxx

 

"This ole bus sure is nice to travel in." Ennis said as they made their way east. "We could a just taken the truck though."

 

"We could have but it wouldn't have been as much fun. I get a kick drivin' it and we save a ton of money eatin' in it instead of restaurants." Jack smiled as he drove.

 

"You sure you ain't takin' it just 'cause of me?"

 

"Sure I am. If it was just me, I'd a run over there and looked at 'em and bought 'em without knowin' what the hell I was doin'. And I know how you feel about bein' seen all over the state with me so I figured this would be best. It makes a good impression too to come drivin' up in one of these things."

 

"It'll get their attention all right." Ennis grinned.

 

"You about ready to stop for lunch?"

 

"We're almost there – you wanna stop now?"

 

"Sure. I'm hungry now." Jack said.

 

"I could eat." Ennis agreed as Jack pulled the bus off the highway and into a rest stop.

 

Jack stood and helped Ennis to stand and let his hand wander down over Ennis' backside.

 

"I thought you was hungry." Ennis grinned at him.

 

"I am. You said you were too."

 

"I thought we was talking about food."

 

"We can eat after." Jack said as he pulled Ennis close and nuzzled the side of his neck.

 

"Do you ever get enough, Jack Twist?" Ennis grinned and leaned his head over to give Jack better access.

 

"Of you? Never!" He walked Ennis back to the bedroom, kissing and nuzzling all the way. 

 

It was nearly an hour before they got back on the road again, both wearing satisfied little grins. 

 

"I sure do like this ole bus, Jack." Ennis said.

 

"Me too." Jack agreed as he pulled into the ranch driveway. "Don't think I'll ever want to travel any other way again."

 

"Me neither." Ennis agreed as they got out and got on with the business.

 

The owner drove them out to see the herd and stopped. Ennis and Jack got out and walked over to the fence to look closer and to talk.

 

"What do you think?" Jack asked.

 

"Not too bad. I suppose this is an all or nothin' deal?"

 

"Yeah. They want to get rid of the bunch of them and not get left with just a few they can't sell."

 

"Don't blame 'em for that. There's a few out there that look mighty fine and a few that should be sold off but most of 'em look pretty good. They're only askin' fifty thousand for seventy five head. That's a good deal. But don't say nothin' until we see the bulls."

 

They drove over to where the three bulls were pastured and got out. 

 

"They look mean." Jack said while Ennis sized them up.

 

"They are. You don't wanna mess with them unless you have to. They don't like bein' penned up away from the females and they ain't shy about lettin' you know it."

 

"They look any good?" Jack asked.

 

"Well, we got three different ages here."

 

"How can you tell that?"

 

"See that biggest one over there on the left? He's the oldest. He's got maybe a couple a good years left in him – that's all. The little one there, he's the youngest – just startin' out. Probably hasn't been in with the females but a time or two. He's got the build and I don't see nothin' wrong with him."

 

"What about the other one?"

 

"He looks pretty good but he don't look interested in nothin' but eatin'. Hasn't glanced over at us once."

 

"Is that good or bad?"

 

"Well, it's hard to tell. It could mean he's just a good natured sort and will take to the females just fine when the time comes or it could mean that he really ain't interested in anything but eatin'."

 

"Shit! How can you tell?"

 

"Ya can't. Not until the females start calvin' then you can pretty much tell which bull sired 'em. You gotta throw the dice and take your chances. Ask to see the vets reports and see what he has to say about 'em."

 

"What should I be lookin' for in the reports?" Jack asked as they walked back to the truck.

 

"Act like you know what you're doin' and hand 'em to me."

 

After reading the vets reports, Ennis nodded his head yes and Jack wrote out the check. They stopped in town long enough to make arrangements for transportation for the herd then headed on back to the ranch.

 

They sat silently at the dinner table after the meal. Jack finally broke the silence with, "I sure hope I can find somebody smart as you to run this place for me. The more you try and teach me, the more I find out I don't know what the hell I'm doin'."

 

"You'll learn, Jack. You can't expect to learn in a few weeks what it's taken me my whole life to learn."

 

"I worked along side Pa for years and years but I never had to make any of these decisions. I just never thought about 'em."

 

"It wasn't your job to think about 'em. That was your Pa's job to do. What I can't see is why he never taught you none of this stuff."

 

"We never did get on. We'd work together but we never actually talked. I mean, it was all just him tellin' me what to do and I done it best I could. As a kid, I never did anything right enough to please him. Later when I was grown and went back to help each year, he didn't complain as much but he never let on if I done it right or not. He'd just tell me what to do and leave me alone to do it."

 

"Maybe he figured you wasn't never gonna be a rancher anyway so there was no use teachin' you."

 

"I don't know. I sure do wanna make a go of this place though. If I can't find me a ranch manager, would you be willin' to come up weekends and tell me what needs doin' next? And if I do find one, would you be willin' check things out once in a while and see if he knows what he's doin?"

 

"Sure enough. I can do that." Ennis was silent for a while as he sat there staring at his coffee cup. "I need to be gettin' back to Riverton, Jack."

 

"I know. I just don't like thinkin' about it. I want you here with me so bad – but I know that ain't what you want."

 

"Jack, it ain't like that."

 

"I know. I know you like bein' with me and all that. I just wish …"

 

"What?"

 

"Same wish I had since we first met, Cowboy." Jack said sadly as he got up and started clearing the table. Ennis got up and helped; limping around as he did so.

 

"Things are the way they are – ain't nothin' we can do about it, Jack."

 

"Things change though, Ennis. It ain't exactly unheard of for two guys to live together any more."

 

"Yep. And they might as well of painted big ole targets on their backs 'cause sooner or later, someone's gonna get 'em".

 

"Well, it just ain't right, is all I got to say about it. It just ain't right. People ought to be able to live with whoever they want to."

 

"I agree, Jack, but like I said – there ain't nothin' we can do about it." 

 

They washed the dishes together, side by side, Jack washing and Ennis wiping and putting stuff away as they talked. With the last dish done and put away in its place, they headed for bed.

 

"I like your place, Jack." Ennis said later as they lay side by side later, satisfied and spent.

 

"Me too, Cowboy. I never figured I'd have me a place this nice. I'd sure hate to lose it."

 

"You won't. I'll help you out and I'll teach you what you need to know." 

 

"You reckon I'll ever find me a ranch manager?"

 

"I don't know. You get some lined up, you let me know and I'll drive up here and help you talk with 'em."

 

"Appreciate that." Jack mumbled then rolled over, slung an arm across Ennis' chest and dozed off.

 

"Wish I could do it, Bud," Ennis whispered as he planted a sweet kiss on the top of Jack's head. All he heard for an answer was Jack's steady breathing as he drifted off to sleep.

 

xxxxxx

 

The next day they drove back to Riverton; both in a somber mood.

 

"You call me now, if you got any questions about anythin'." Ennis insisted as they said their goodbyes later in the bus outside Ennis' trailer.

 

"I will. I just wish you'd let me pay you some for all the help you already gave me. What you got in your head is worth a lot of money, Cowboy. No tellin' what kind a place I'd a ended up with if you hadn't come along with me."

 

"No, now, we already talked about that. Then I gotta pay you for takin' care of me. We're even – far as I can see." Ennis reached for the door handle of the motor home.

 

Jack grabbed him and held him close for a few minutes before gritting his teeth hard. "See ya then, Cowboy." He let go and stepped back.

 

"Yeah. Gonna miss you, Bud." Ennis caressed the side of Jack's face then turned quickly, opened the door and climbed out. In seconds his trailer door was open and he was inside. 

 

Jack drove away quickly, before the tears were able to fall. He managed to hold it together until he got back to his empty and lonesome ranch house. Once inside, he let go as he walked through the house, blinded by tears. He had never been so lonely in his life.

 

Ennis stood in the middle of his empty trailer and whispered, "Jack …" and the tears came. He'd never felt so alone in his life.

 

xxxxxx

 

Ennis went back to work the next day and Mr. Cole was surprised to see him back and told him he could take more time if he needed to because his nephew was there helping and things were going along very well. The young man in his early twenties was bright and strong and eager to learn every thing he could. Ennis stayed though and did his job the best he could. 

 

His leg hurt like hell and what traveling around the ranch he needed to do, he did in the pickup instead of horse-back and that helped some but by the end of the day, he was miserable. He wondered why he didn't hurt that much while he and Jack were together and finally decided it must be the hot baths he and Jack had taken together every night. They really did soothe his leg and he wasn't in nearly as much discomfort as he was now. He made up his mind to soak in a hot tub as soon as he got back to his trailer.

 

He did take that soak but it wasn't the same. There were no laughing blue eyes to share the tub with him or splash the water around or massage his sore leg. He tried to massage it himself but it just wasn't the same. Nothing was every the same without Jack. The only time he ever felt really good was when he was with Jack – going to sleep with him and waking up with him – planning their day together. That could never happen though – they were just too smart to make targets out of themselves.

 

Jack called every night and Ennis looked forward to talking with him just before bed time. It was almost like being together – except that Jack was alone up in his fine ranch house and Ennis was alone in his dumpy little trailer sleeping on his lumpy old couch that folded down into a bed. It was all right, but Ennis could hardly wait for the weekend. 

 

Friday evening after work, Ennis cleaned up, ate a quick bite of dinner and headed north for Jack's place. He was exhausted from a painful first week back at work but his mood lightened and he felt better with each mile that brought him closer to Jack. By the time he was driving through Jack's front gate, he was whistling a tune and shivering with anticipation.

 

Jack met him out front and grabbed him the minute the truck stopped and he stepped down. The just hugged for a long time, each of them fighting to hold back the tears. Once inside the house they locked the place up tight and headed for bed – few words spoken between them. None were really needed.

 

They drove around the ranch the next day to have a look at the herd that had arrived mid-week and to see what Jack had gotten done – which was quite a lot. He had the herd in the pasture they had decided on and had plowed up and planted the other two pastures they had discussed. They then headed into town to pick up seeds and seedlings for the vegetable garden. They planted the seedlings first then spent Sunday planting the seeds. They soaked in the big bath tub afterwards, massaging each others tired and sore muscles. It was two days hard work but in the months to come, they would have all the fresh vegetables they could eat and plenty more to freeze and store for the winter.

 

The two hour drive back to Riverton was un-eventful and Ennis felt like they had gotten a lot accomplished in their two days together. He was tired and sore but he felt good. 

 

The next few weeks at work passed quickly for Ennis. Cole's nephew was indeed bright and good natured and easy to work with. He joked around and laughed a lot but put his shoulder to it with every job he was asked to do. He'd make a fine rancher some day.

 

Ennis was teaching him how to gentle a horse one morning with Mr. Cole sitting on the fence watching and drinking a cup of coffee when Jack drove up.

 

Ennis saw him arrive and walked immediately to the truck and met Jack as he got out.

 

"Jack … what are you doin' here?"

 

"Ennis … it's bad – real bad."

 

"What is it? What's happened?" Ennis' brow furrowed with worry.

 

"It's Bobby … Bobby and Lureen." He was so distraught he could hardly speak.

 

"What?" Ennis put a hand on Jack's shoulder to steady him.

 

Mr. Cole recognized Jack and came over to offer a welcome.

 

"Morning, Jack …Twist, isn't it?"

 

Jack looked up at them both and they saw the tear stained face. "Traffic accident over there in Switzerland – they're both hurt real bad. I gotta go."

 

"Oh my God," Ennis gasped. "They gonna make it though?"

 

"Don't know. Someone from the hospital called. Said I needed to get there right away. I asked to talk with Lureen and they said she was unconscious – Bobby too."

 

"Shit!" Ennis sympathized. "What can I do? You need me to go over there with you?"

 

"No." Jack swallowed hard. All he wanted to do was throw himself into Ennis' arms but he knew he couldn't do that. "I just … I don't know. I got me a plane reservation for this afternoon. Can you drive up once in a while to look after the place? I don't know how long I'll be."

 

"Sure enough. I can do that."

 

"I gotta go. I gotta be there for them both when they wake up."

 

"That's rough, Jack." Mr. Cole said. "Ennis here can take off as much time as he needs to look after your place. You were awful good to look after him when he was hurt. I figured I was gonna have to hire a nurse to look after him until you come along."

 

"Thank you, sir. Ennis, I gotta go."

 

"You sure you don't wanna come in and have somethin' to eat before you get on the road?" Mr. Cole offered. "How about just a cup of coffee then?" He added as Jack shook his head 'no'.

 

"Kind of you, Mr. Cole, but I best get a move on. I gotta pack yet and then drive to the airport in Riverton." Then to Ennis he added, "You'll look after things for me then?"

 

"Course I will." 

 

Jack pulled his keys out, pulled the truck key off the ring and handed them over to Ennis. 

 

"You leavin' your truck at the airport?" Ennis asked.

 

"Yeah. I gotta."

 

"Ennis, why don't you take off with him. You can drive him to the airport so he won't have to leave his truck there. No tellin' how long he'll be gone. And when he comes back you can take off to go pick him up." And to Jack he said, "Jack, I hope your family gets well real soon and if you need to speak with Ennis during the day, call here and I'll see he gets to a phone. Ennis, be sure and see to it that he has my number."

 

"Thank you, Mr. Cole." Jack said.

 

"Thanks. I'll do that." Ennis said. "I'll be back first thing in the morning, Mr. Cole."

 

"I know you will. You two take care now."

 

Ennis headed for his truck and the two of them took off for the ranch, Ennis following behind so he could keep an eye on Jack. He helped Jack pack and before long they were standing side by side at the airport watching the big plane pulling up to the loading gate.

 

"You OK, Jack?" Ennis asked.

 

"How can everything be so perfect one minute then fall apart the next?" Jack mumbled numbly.

 

"It'll be all right, Jack. You'll see. It probably ain't all that serious. You know how these doctors like to blow things up bigger than they need to." Ennis hoped he sounded surer than he felt.

 

The girl behind the counted announced the boarding of his flight and Jack turned, gave him a brief hug and headed through the loading gate. Ennis watched until the plane disappeared into the sky then made his way out to the truck and drove back to the ranch.

 

He made a quick drive around the place to check everything out then drove on home to Riverton. Each time he left Jack's place, he hated his trailer a little bit more. It had seemed fine before but after being with Jack out at his ranch, he had developed a real dislike for his drafty little trailer. He took a quick shower then went to bed.

 

xxxxxx

 

Jack paced the floor and waited. Something must be wrong. Why weren't they coming out to get him? They said it was only going to take a few minutes and it's been nearly an hour. Finally he was escorted into the doctor's office and seated in front of the doctor's desk. The doctor shuffled papers and kept his eyes down. He reached across his desk for a brief handshake and quickly averted his eyes from Jack's.

 

"Doctor, I need to know – how are they? They gonna be alright?"

 

"At this point it is impossible to say. Their injuries are extensive, their condition precarious."

 

"What does that mean? I'm guessin' they're hurt real bad but I need to know HOW bad? Are they gonna make it or not?" Jack was leaning forward with both arms resting on the doctor's desk.

 

The doctor sat back and studied him for a minute or two then after sizing him up decided to go with the truth. "Your son's chances are slim. In fact, I'm surprised that he's still alive at this point. Your wife's chances aren't much better. She suffered extensive brain damage. If she does by some miracle manage to survive her injuries, she will most likely be in an irreversible vegetative state."

 

Jack sat in numbed silence for a moment then jumped up and began to pace the small office. "There must be something we can do? Can't we call in another doctor – specialists? We can't just sit around and wait for them to die!"

 

"Switzerland has the best doctors in the world. In fact, many specialists from other countries come here to learn from our experts. Your wife and son have been seen by two of these specialists and their opinions are the same as mine. There is nothing further that we can do."

 

"I need to see t hem." Jack said quietly.

 

"Of course. I'll have the nurse show you to their room. Afterwards, please stop back at the front desk. There is a lot of paperwork that you'll need to go over and sign."

 

The next several days were a nightmare. He had someone show him how to figure out the time difference and managed to get a call through to Ennis just as he was getting ready for bed.

 

"Hello?" Ennis said as he pulled on his pajamas.

 

"Ennis – Thank God, I got you!"

 

"Jack! You OK?"

 

"No. Cowboy, you can't imagine how bad it is."

 

"What's happenin'? Did you get to see them? How bad are they?"

 

"Bad. Doctors don't hold out much hope."

 

"Shit, Jack. I'm sorry. Bobby's young and strong though – he might surprise everyone." Ennis tried to sound hopeful.

 

"He's got three different doctors checkin' in on him. They all say the same thing. It's only a matter of time for Bobby and Lureen ain't doin' much better."

 

"Bad news, Bud." Ennis didn't know what else to say.

 

"Bobby and me, we didn't get to spend that much time together when he was a kid but the last few years, when he was in high school, we did. We got really close. I was hopin'…"

 

"What, Jack? What was you hopin'?"

 

"When Bobby got back from school – I was gonna bring him up to Wyomin'. I wanted you to meet him."

 

Ennis lit a cigarette, inhaled deeply and blew the smoke towards the ceiling. "I would've liked that, Bud."

 

"It ain't gonna happen now. And Lureen – God, Ennis – she was so beautiful! And now she's just a mass of bandages and what little I can see of her is all black and blue and swollen up. I wouldn't even know it was her if I hadn't seen her hands. She had this little scar on her thumb that she got when she was a kid. They showed me her jewelry and I recognized it. Doctors are sayin' if she lives, she'll be nothing but a vegetable. She's got severe brain damage. She'll be hospitalized the rest of her life. Bobby looks about the same. I go in to see them but all I see is a pile of bandages."

 

"What the hell happened? Do they know?" Ennis tried to veer Jack off into thinking about something else.

 

"I talked with Bobby's friend. He said that Lureen and Bobby were goin' out to dinner. A truck came around the corner, slid on the icy road and crashed into them broadside. Truck driver was killed on impact."

 

"And there ain't nothin' they can do? What about gettin' in another doctor?"

 

"Nope. Everythin' that can be done for them was already done. There hasn't been any improvement and they don't expect any."

 

"Maybe you should see about bringin' them back here. Might be somethin' American doctors can do that the doctors over there didn't think of."

 

"No. I checked these doctors out. They are the best in the world. This is a lost cause, Cowboy."

 

"I'm so sorry, Jack. Wish I was there with you."

 

"No. You don't wanna be walkin' around in this nightmare. I gotta go. I got me a hotel room close by and I'm gonna try and get some sleep."

 

"That's a good idea. Will you call me again?"

 

"Uh huh. Soon as I can think straight. You been out to the ranch?"

 

"Yeah. I go up every other night after work and I spent the weekend there seein' to things."

 

"Wish I was back there right now." Jack sighed sadly.

 

"Me too, Bud. You get some sleep now and call me again – let me know how you're doin'."

 

"I will. I gotta see the doctor first. He wants to talk with me before I leave."

 

"OK. Be strong, Jack. Your ranch will be here waitin' for you when you get back."

 

"Don't know when that's likely to be, Cowboy."

 

"I know. Just … don't worry about nothin' here. I'm takin' care of everythin'."

 

"I knew I could count on you. I'll call you again, OK?"

 

"I'll be waitin'."

 

"Bye."

 

"Bye."

 

xxxxxx

 

 

Ennis waited and waited and waited for the next phone call but it didn't come for three weeks during that time he was working himself half to death trying to hold down a full time job at the Cole's ranch while keeping everything going up at Jack's place.

 

"Hello?" Ennis said as he swallowed a mouthful of Spaghettios and grabbed the phone.

 

"Ennis – I'm so glad I caught you. This time difference has got me so screwed up, I don't know if it's day or night any more."

 

"You doin' OK?" Ennis asked as he wiped his mouth on his shirt sleeve.

 

"Yeah – no – I don’t know. Nothin's changed here. They are both about the same. Lureen, she moves around every once in a while but she ain't never come to yet. It's like she's sleepin'."

 

"That may be best for her. No tellin' what she'd go through if she woke up."

 

"I know. I just still can't believe that she's never gonna get up outta that bed."

 

"Hard times, Bud. They ain't doin' nothin' for her at all?"

 

"They said they done everything they could but her brain is too far gone. They are runnin' some more tests but they are convinced she's gonna be like this for the rest of her life."

 

"And Bobby?"

 

"About the same only he don't move none. They are both on machines that keeps 'em breathin' but they are talkin' about takin' 'em off."

 

"Shit!"

 

"I just don't know what else to do, Ennis. There's been three different doctors in to see them and they all say the same thing. They ain't got a chance."

 

"You're doin' all that can be expected – you're there. There ain't much else you can do for them now."

 

"I know that but I just feel so damn helpless."

 

"Your hotel room close by?" Ennis asked.

 

"Not any more. They brought me Lureen's purse and it had her apartment address and keys in it. I'm stayin' there. It's spooky though. I hate it."

 

"Spooky?"

 

"Yeah. It looks so much like her – all the fancy froo froo stuff that she likes so much. I keep expectin' her to come in and tell me to watch my cigarettes and not get any ashes on the rug."

 

"That's tough."

 

"Yeah. Everything all right out at the ranch?"

 

"Sure enough. Garden's comin' up good. You'll have plenty of fresh vegetables before long."

 

"I wish I was there with you, Cowboy."

 

"Me too."

 

"I never meant for you to have to do all the work."

 

"It ain't that much."

 

"Any more calls about the ranch manager job?"

 

"No. Nothin'."

 

"Well, I'll do it all myself then."

 

"You know I'll help all I can."

 

"I know, Cowboy, and I'm countin' on you to give me all the advice you can."

 

"You bet."

 

"Gotta go. My taxi just got here." Jack said as he looked out the window at the honking cab.

 

"OK."

 

"See ya, Cowboy."

 

"Yeah; bye."

 

"Bye."

 

xxxxxx

 

 

Ennis ate his lunch in his truck as usual and leaned his head back just for a second. The next thing he was aware of was Mr. Cole shaking him.

 

"Huh? What?" Ennis became aware again.

 

"You all right?"

 

"Yeah, sure. Why?"

 

"I guess you fell asleep. A couple of the men saw you and thought you were unconscious."

 

"Must a dosed off." Ennis rubbed a calloused hand down over his face and stepped down from his truck.

 

"Are you gettin' any sleep at all?"

 

"Yeah … some."

 

"No idea yet when Jack will be back?"

 

"Nah."

 

"Things are goin' pretty good here now. Why don't you take some time off – just work Jack's place for the summer. You can't do it all, Ennis. You'll end up killin' yourself."

 

"You firin' me, Mr. Cole?"

 

"No! Definitely not. After what you done for me – savin' my grandson and all – you'll have a job here as long as I'm alive. I'm just thinkin' that summer time is the busiest around any place. It's hard enough to run a place by yourself. It's impossible to do it and hold down a full time job at the same time."

 

"I ain't shirkin' my work here, Mr. Cole."

 

"I know that, Ennis, and you're killin' yourself tryin' to do both. I got more than a full crew here now and you takin' off for the rest of summer won't hurt me none at all. Take the time off. See to Jack's place and come back whenever you're ready – after he gets back to take over."

 

"That's mighty kind of you but I don't know when he's likely to get back."

 

"Don't matter. Why don't you go home get some sleep. You're out on your feet as it is."

 

"I can make the rest of the day." Ennis insisted as he stifled a yawn.

 

"I know you can but it ain't necessary. Go home. Get some sleep and take care of yourself. You won't be any good to anybody if you wear yourself down completely."

 

"I could get up to Jack's place and get some work done."

 

"No! Go home – sleep and then get an early start tomorrow morning. You'll feel a lot better and get more done."

 

"Yes sir. I could use a nap. You sure you won't need me?"

 

"Nah. We got us a pretty darn good crew here now and with my nephew workin' out as well as he has, thanks to you – we got plenty of hands. Stop off at the house before you leave and I'll have a check ready for you."

 

"Thank you, Mr. Cole. Appreciate it." 

 

 

xxxxxx

 

 

Ennis packed his truck, stopped at the office of the trailer park and paid the next two months rent and headed out of town, pulling his horse trailer behind him. He moved his things into the room across from Jack's and settled in for the evening.

 

He started a fire and sat in front of it with the phone in his lap trying to explain to the long distance operator who he wanted to speak with gave her the name of the hospital in Berne. After waiting for several minutes while the connections were made; the message came back that Jack wasn't in the hospital at the moment. He left a message telling Jack that he was at the ranch now full time and to call him there. Then he sat back and hoped that Jack would get the message.

 

The next morning while he was eating breakfast the phone rang.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Hey Cowboy. Got your message. What'd you do; quit your job?"

 

"Nah. Mr. Cole gave me the summer off. Told me to get my ass over here and do a proper job of lookin' after the place."

 

"That was nice of him."

 

"How's everythin' goin' over there?"

 

"Lousy. It's a battle every single day. First one doctor then another takes me aside and tries to talk me into un-pluggin' the machines that are keepin' them both alive. I can't do it, Cowboy. I can't just let them go."

 

"I can understand that – must be pure hell."

 

"It is! I'm just lost over here. I wish you were here with me but at the same time, I'm glad you're not. I hate it. I hate the way they all look at me, I hate this fuckin' hospital, and I hate bein' here when I'd rather be home on my own place with you. But I just can't give them permission to let them die." Jack choked up with that last statement.

 

"I couldn't do it neither, Bud. I don't know how you're hangin' in there."

 

"I don't either. I'm just numb most of the time. I sit there all day long just watchin' them – prayin' they'll wake up and come out of this but I guess I know by now that ain't gonna happen. I don't know how much longer I can hold out here."

 

"You been there a whole month now. How long you figure on stayin?"

 

"I don't know. I can't think straight any more. I sit here all day and then leave at night when they finally get tired of me and shoo me out. Then I sit there in Lureen's apartment and try to think what I should do but I just don't come up with any answers."

 

"You given any thought to havin' them transferred back to the states?"

 

"Yes, I have and I've got calls out to a couple of places and I've contacted my attorney there in Thermopolis and Lureen's attorney back in Childress. They're checkin' into a few places for me but last I talked with them they both said the hospitals there are all pretty much leery about takin' on a case that three other doctors have already given up on."

 

"I'm sorry, Bud."

 

"I best let you go for now. They are opening up the cafeteria here at the hospital and I need to eat somethin. Oh, before I forget. If you need any money, my check book is in the top drawer of my dresser. The account is in both our names but you'll need to go in and sign a signature card first. I meant to tell you that before I left but I forgot it."

 

"That's OK. You had other things on your mind."

 

"I never expected nothin' like this though, Cowboy. This is a hard one to swallow."

 

"You'll get through it."

 

"I will. Then I can come home. It's all I think about any more, Cowboy. I just want to get home."

 

"I'll be lookin' after things until you get here."

 

"Thanks, Cowboy. Can't tell you how much it means to me to know that you're there lookin' after things for me."

 

"Don't you worry about nothin' here – I'm takin' care of everythin'."

 

"I know you are and that means the world to me."

 

"Go get yourself somethin' to eat now, Bud."

 

"I will."

 

"Bye."

 

"Bye."

 

xxxxxx

 

Ennis filled his day with busy work and tried not to think about Jack and what he was going through but once his day's work was finished and dinner was over with, he sat in front of the fire and Jack filled his thoughts. He wondered what he would do in Jack's place if it was Alma lying there. He didn't even have to think all that much about it. He'd sign the papers the first time they were brought to him. He knew that without a doubt – but if it was one of his girls – now that would be a different matter. Nothing on earth would make him sign away either of his daughter's lives. He didn't know how Jack could stand it. 

 

He lit a cigarette and sipped his beer. Tomorrow he'd have to go into town and do some shopping. First he'd have to go to the bank and sign that signature card – whatever that was. He hated to but he was totally out of cash and he needed groceries and gas for his truck. He tried to think of anything else that would keep his mind off Jack but it never lasted for very long. He got out a paper and pencil and started a grocery list but each time he stopped writing, the image of Jack came back to haunt him. Jack sounded so miserable and so tired on the phone. Ennis heaved a great sigh and went to bed.

 

The next morning he went into the bank and took Jack's bank book with him. He hadn't even opened it until he was standing in line waiting and was shocked to see that the account was indeed set up in the names Jack Twist and/or Ennis del Mar. When his turn came he had a bit of difficulty explaining to the teller what he was there for. She excused herself and went to the bank manager's desk and spoke to him for a minute then came back and ushered Ennis over to his desk.

 

"Ennis del Mar – pleased to meet you! Jack said you'd be comin' in one of these days." Tom Bartlett, the bank manager, reached a hand over his desk and Ennis took it with a shake.

 

"Please – sit down." And to the teller he said, "Carolyn, bring me Jack Twist's signature card."

 

"Sir, could you tell me what a signature card is and why I'm supposed to sign it?" Ennis took a seat.

 

"Certainly. Your brother explained to me that you didn't have much experience with banks and would need an explanation."

 

Ennis stared at the man and wondered just what story Jack had told him. In a moment the teller was back with a small card and the manager handed it to Ennis and explained the need for it.

 

"Oh. I see. I just gotta sign it here and that's all?"

 

"That's all there is to it. Once we have your signature there, you are free to draw on 

 

either account."

 

"Either account?" Ennis asked as he wrote his name on the line indicated.

 

"Yes – the checking or the savings."

 

"What's the point of havin' two accounts?"

 

"Well, the savings account produces interest and the checking account you just write checks in." The manager explained then asked, "Have you ever had a checking account before?"

 

"No sir. I just cash my pay check and pay my bills in cash."

 

"I see. Here – let me show you how it's done." He reached for the checkbook that Ennis had in his hands and he handed it over to him. "It's really quite simple. On this line, you put the date that you write the check. Here where it says 'Pay to the order of' you write in who you're writing the check to. Like if it's Safeway, you just write that in there. Then over here by the dollar sign, you write the amount. Now some people's writing is pretty messy so you gotta write out how much the check is for. Say you spend $50.25 dollars at Safeway. You put the numbers by the Dollar sign and below it on the next line, you write out the word 'fifty' and 25/100. Like this." He showed him how to write the numbers out on his scratch pad. "Then you sign it below on this line."

 

"What about this line over here where it says 'for'."

 

"That line you can fill in or not – that's up to you. Like if you write a check to Safeway – chances are it's for groceries so you don't need to write down 'groceries'. Or if you're writing a check to pay your electric bill – you write in Thermopolis Electric up here on the Pay to the order of line so you know that's the electric bill. There's no need to write it down there again. But say you bought a horse from some guy you just met and you make the check out to John Smith. Then down there you could put 'horse' or whatever you want to remind you what you wrote that check for. That way when you look back in your checkbook six months from now, you'll know what you wrote that for. See here, in the back. Jack has written down all the checks he wrote and a few words tellin' what each check was for and the amount. That way he can keep track of what he's spent his money on and how much he has left in the account."

 

Ennis eyed Jack's scribbles in the register. "Each time he wrote a check he subtracted it from what was in there." Ennis observed.

 

"Exactly. It's a great way to keep track of how you're spending your money and where it all goes each month. And there's the convenience of not having to go into town to pay your bills – you can just write out a check and mail it in."

 

"I'm pretty good at math. I think I can handle this."

 

"I'm sure you can. If you have any trouble at all, just bring your checkbook in and I'll be glad to help you with it."

 

Ennis stood to leave and the manager walked with him to the door. "Any idea when Jack will be back yet?"

 

"How'd you know he was gone?" Ennis asked as he tucked the checkbook into his jacket pocket.

 

"He came in here and made a large cash withdrawal. He told me about his wife and boy bein' in that accident. Have you heard from him? Are they gonna make it?"

 

"It don't look like it. They got 'em both on machines to help them breathe but they are talkin' about takin' 'em off."

 

"Oh, I hate to hear that. That's a shame. At least he was lucky enough to have his brother near by to look after his place for him while he's gone." He patted Ennis on the shoulder then added. "I haven't known Jack for very long but we've tipped a few beers together and he told me a lot about his rodeo days and how the two of you met for the first time in '63. You talk to him, you send him my regards."

 

"Sure enough. Thanks." Ennis left and headed on over to the grocery store. He wondered as he drove just when Jack had time to come up with the brother story. Oh well – he didn't see that it could hurt any.

 

 

The next weekend Ennis was sitting at a table at Cagel's Bar having a beer and worrying about Jack when he heard his name called out.

 

"Ennis! How're you doin?" Tom Bartlett walked over to his table carrying a beer.

It took Ennis a minute before he recognized the banker – now dressed in jeans and western shirt instead of his suit and tie. "Mind if I join you?"

 

"Sure enough." Ennis nodded and the banker sat down opposite him.

 

"Heard anything from Jack?"

 

"Talked to him a couple a days ago. He says everythin' is about the same. The doctors over there are trying to get him to sign some papers so they can pull the plugs but Jack's holdin' out."

 

"Well, I don't blame him. They sound heartless to me. Any chance he could just bring them back here? We got a real nice hospital right here in Thermopolis with some nice people runnin' it. They'd take good care of 'em."

 

"He's been tryin' but it ain't a easy thing to do. He's talkin' with some attorney here – Mathison – about it."

 

"He hooked up with Mathison? Good. Bill Mathison is a good man. If anyone can make things happen, it's Bill."

 

"You know him?"

 

"Yeah. We went to school together years ago. I'm glad Jack is talking with him about this."

 

"He's lookin' for a place that will take 'em. Seems no hospital wants a couple a patients that all the other doctors have given up on."

 

"That's rough. I hate to hear it. I'm glad that he has you here to look after things for him."

 

"Ain't much I can do for him 'cept for lookin' after the ranch."

 

"Right now that's all he needs." Tom took a long drink from his beer.

 

"Hey Bart! What are you up to on a fine Saturday night? Why aren't you home with the wife and kids?" Another guy walked over to their table.

 

"Hey, Butch – sit down. This here is Ennis del Mar – Jack Twist's brother. Ennis, this is Butch Conners. He works over at Thermopolis Electric."

 

"How're you doin' Ennis?" The man pulled a chair over from another table and joined them. "So where's Emmie and the kids?"

 

"In Cody for the weekend to see her folks."

 

"You didn't wanna go?"

 

"You know I can't stand that old bat. They'll be back Monday mornin'."

 

"Well, they need a break from you, I guess. You got any family, Ennis?"

 

"I got my girls. They're grown up now. One's livin' in Cheyenne and the other's married to a rough neck and livin' in Alaska."

 

"That's rough. Any word on Jack's family?"

 

"None good." Ennis shook his head and concentrated on his beer – not sure at all that he liked so many people knowing his and Jack's business.

 

"The doctors over there are trying to get Jack to sign the papers so they can pull the plugs. It don't look like they got much chance." Tom explained to the new comer.

 

"That stinks. I'm glad though that you finally moved up here so Jack will at least have someone." Butch said.

 

Ennis looked up at the man but saw only kindness in his eyes.

 

"He told us how the two of you come to be brothers." Butch explained. "How his dad and your mom were married for a time when you were kids and the two of you never even knew you were brothers till you met up years later."

 

"Jack's story kept us all entertained one Saturday night." Tom said. "That Pa of his must a been a real bastard. You don't remember him at all?"

 

"Nope." Ennis went along. 

 

"Well the two of you were just boys at the time and Jack stayed with his Mom in Lightning Flat and you were raised down in Signal."

 

"Uh huh."

 

"He said you had a brother that you never did get on with?" Tom asked.

 

"Yeah. K.E. He was the oldest. He hated ranchin' and got out of it first chance he got."

 

"He live around here?" Butch asked.

 

"Nah. Down in Signal last I heard. We don't keep in touch."

 

"That's a shame. And you and Jack met sheep-herdin' and got to talkin' and that's how you found out you were brothers – at least for a little while?"

 

"Uh huh." Ennis tried to keep his answers short. He didn't want to mess up any story that Jack had given the locals and was glad to hear that he had kept pretty much to the truth – except for the brothers part.

 

"He said you were workin' on a ranch down near Riverton. He finally talk you into quittin' and movin' up here?" Tom asked.

 

"I ain't quit that job. I just took the summer off to come up here and help out."

 

"That was real nice of you. You know Jack thinks the world of you. Says you know everythin' there is to know about ranchin'."

 

"Ain't nobody knows everythin'." Ennis held up his empty beer bottle as the waitress walked by and she nodded.

 

"Jack's a good man. I liked him first time I met him – right here at Cagel's. Lonely as hell though." Tom said.

 

"Well, he'd just gone through a divorce. You can't expect a man to be on the prowl after goin' through a divorce. I swear, my brother Orel – he wouldn't have nothin' to do with women for years after his divorce." Butch said.

 

"Divorce is rough." Ennis agreed.

 

"You been through it?"

 

"I have. Soured me on women good. Can't stand all that perfume." Ennis admitted with a shiver thinkin' about Alma.

 

"That's what Orel said. Said the stink of women made him sick. He lives all alone in a place over in Billings, Montana."

 

"Sometimes alone ain't so bad." Ennis said.

 

"I hear ya. Better alone that with a woman you can't stand." Butch agreed.

 

"Well, you and me got lucky, Butch. We got the two best gals in Thermopolis."

 

"That we do, Tom. That we do." Then he looked over at Ennis and added. "I'd say that Jack is lucky too to have his brother close enough to come help out."

 

"Uh huh." Tom agreed. "Can't imagine what it was like for Jack growin' up an only child like that – lonely all those years – then finding out he had a half – or I guess it'd be a step brother."

 

"Don't matter what you call it." Butch said. "A brother is a brother. Ain't that right, Ennis?"

 

"Uh huh."

 

"And you always enjoyed ranchin?" Tom asked.

 

"Always. Never wanted to do nothin' else." Ennis answered.

 

"I agree with Jack – I think you ought to quit that Riverton job and move up here for good."

 

"Ain't no way Jack can run that place by himself. He have any luck findin' a ranch manager yet?" Butch asked.

 

"Nope. Ain't had any calls in weeks now." Ennis said.

 

"Thermopolis ain't that big a place. Maybe he should think about advertisin' in one of the bigger cities, like Cody or Cheyenne." Tom said.

 

"Maybe." Ennis agreed as he accepted he fresh beer the waitress handed him.

 

"He wouldn't need to worry with that if you moved up here." Butch said.

 

"I'm thinkin' about it." Ennis had to admit that he was giving it serious thought.

 

"Well good! If a man don't have a wife then a brother is the next best thing. Especially if you get along with him." Butch said.

 

"Jack said the two of you got along fine right from the start – even before you knew you were brothers." Tom said.

 

"Un huh. We was just two lonely kids back then."

 

"Must a been a hell of a shock to find out you had a brother – I mean another brother." Butch said.

 

"It sure enough was." Ennis agreed and wished he could find a polite way to get out of this conversation.

 

"And that even though you wasn't blood, you both always wanted to get into ranchin'."

 

"Yeah. We was both savin' for a place back then."

 

"Well, I gotta go." Butch stood up. "We got some people comin' over for Canasta and Marry'll skin me alive if I'm late."

 

"She could probably do it too!" Tom laughed.

 

"She could for a fact." Butch laughed. "It was nice meetin' you Ennis. I do hope you'll decide to stay." He reached his hand to Ennis and he took it giving it a shake.

 

"Nice meetin' ya." Ennis said as the other man made his way through the crowd and out the door.

 

"I'm off too." Tom finished his beer and stood up. 

 

"Me too." Ennis said and did the same. They walked out to the parking lot together and each drove away in different directions.

 

Ennis sat for hours in front of the fire place thinking about the conversation. Jack had done a pretty good job of blending fact with fiction. He didn't ever like lying but sometimes it was necessary and in this case, he thought it would do just fine. There wasn't anyone around who could or would dispute things. He went to sleep that night a little less nervous about things than he had been up to that point. Jack seemed to have laid a pretty solid ground work for their close relationship. Maybe things could work out for them after all.

 

xxxxxx

 

The days were getting shorter now as autumn arrived. Ennis set to harvesting everything he could from their garden. He bought another freezer and set it up in the dining room and started filling it with frozen vegetables. A trip into town and a farmer's market set up in the town square caught his eye. He made it home with four bushels of apples, two bushels of nuts, and two dozen jars of home made strawberry jam. He knew how much Jack loved strawberry jam.

 

He kept himself busy chopping firewood and stocking up on supplies to make it through the long cold winter. November came and he took off to the Big Horns in search of elk. It was the loneliest hunting trip he could ever remember. Sitting by the fire at night and shivering in the little tent had lost all its appeal without Jack there with him. He bagged his elk third day out and was glad to get the trip over with and back out to the ranch.

 

He didn't take any of the herd into market. There were only about half a dozen he had planned on selling and didn't think it would be worth the trip. If they didn't pick up some weight they could sell them off in the Spring. He settled in for a long lonely winter.

 

Jack had been calling him about once a week but it had been months now since he had seen him and he had no idea when he would be coming back. His loneliness was a constant nagging thing inside of him that never seemed to let up. They had been apart for months at a time before but there was always a certain date on the calendar when he knew they would be back together again. Now there was no date circled in red on the calendar when he knew he would have Jack Twist back in his arms again. 

 

He began to spend a little more time in town and usually ran into Tom and Butch most Friday evenings at the bar and they'd have a few beers together. They were friendly and interesting and didn't pry too much into Ennis' private life. They had both grown up in the small town of Thermopolis and had lots of stories to tell about the town itself and the people in it. It was nice to have someone to talk with occasionally; especially since they had no more liking for the big cities than he did and talked down on them every chance they got.

 

The three of them were on their second beers when the news came in that Eula Simpson's barn had caught fire and burned down. Everyone in the bar was talking about it and before long they had gotten a group of volunteers together and spent the next few weekends out at Eula's place building a new one for her. She had enough insurance money to pay for the materials but not for the labor so the town's people did the all the work for her. She was the town historian over at the library and well loved by everyone and kept everyone fed while they worked out at her place. Everyone seemed very nice and friendly and no one got drunk or started a fight. He remembered a similar barn raising that his dad had taken him and K.E. to when they were kids. His dad had taken along a couple kegs of beer and by the end of the first day they were all half drunk and fist fights often stopped the work while everyone stood around and cheered for one side or the other. He remembered the home owner standing around wringing her hands and crying.

 

But this time, it was great. Everyone worked together and seemed to respect one another and in a few weekends of work, they had the new barn up. It was a pleasurable experience and he knew he'd do it again with this group if it was ever needed.

 

xxxxxx

 

The snow was deep outside by the time he had finished with looking after the horses and he was glad to be inside with a fire going. He finished his bowl of stew and was dozing in front of the fireplace when the phone rang.

 

"Hello?"

 

"Ennis – Ennis they done it! They killed Bobby!"

 

"What? Jack, what happened?" Ennis was wide awake now and reached for his cigarettes.

 

"Bobby's dead! They done it, Ennis. I know they did!" Jack was hysterical.

 

"Easy now, Jack. Just tell me what happened."

 

"I got here this mornin' and they said he was gone. I thought they meant they took him down for tests or somethin' but the doctor come in and told me, Bobby died durin' the night. I don't believe it, Ennis! They unplugged him durin' the night when I wasn't here to watch over him. I know they did! I'm gonna make 'em pay, Ennis. They took my boy away from me and I'm gonna make 'em all pay!"

 

"Jack – Jack, I'm so sorry. You gotta calm down now and don't go doin' nothin' you'll get in trouble for."

 

"I don't care, Ennis! I just don't care any more. Bobby's gone. My boy is gone." He dissolved into heart-wrenching sobs.

 

"Jack – you gotta get a hold of yourself now. Was the machine unplugged when you got there this mornin?"

 

"No! I looked first thing when they told me but they could a plugged it back in before I got here. I swear, Ennis, I'm gonna find out who did this and I'm gonna make 'em pay!"

 

"I'm on my way, Bud. Don't do nothin' till I get there. Can you do that for me?"

 

"You're comin' here, Ennis? You're comin' to Switzerland?"

 

"I am. But you gotta promise me somethin'. Can you do that?"

 

"What? What do you want me to promise?" Jack sniffed still hic-cupping with tears.

 

"Promise me you'll go back to Lureen's apartment. Promise me you'll stay there till I get there. Then we can decide what to do. Will you do that for me?"

 

"You'll help me find who did this? Help me make 'em pay?"

 

"I'll help ya, Jack. But you gotta promise me you'll go back to the apartment and wait for me to get there. I'll throw some stuff in my bag and leave as soon as we hang up. Can you do that for me?"

 

"I'd do anythin' for you, Ennis. Anythin'."

 

"Good. I want you to leave the hospital right now. Go to the apartment and wait for me. Don't do nothing else, don't sign no papers, don't do nothin' but get yourself back to the apartment and wait for me."

 

"OK. I feel kinda sick, Ennis. Like I'm gonna throw-up."

 

"You need to get yourself in bed and wait for me. I'll be there soon as I can. Tell me the address of this apartment so I can write it down."

 

Jack said the name of the apartment building and the address and spelled them both out as Ennis scribbled them down on the edge of the newspaper that he'd been reading earlier.

 

"You really comin' here, Cowboy?"

 

"Soon as I can get there. You promise me you'll leave right now and go to the apartment?"

 

"I will. There's taxis around outside all the time. I'll grab one and head back to the apartment soon as we hang up."

 

"Do it, Jack. Don't do nothin' else. If they try and stop you, just walk on by them and get into the cab. You don't need to be talkin' to nobody right now."

 

"OK."

 

"I mean it, Jack. Don't go gettin' into no conversations now with the doctors or nobody. Just get to that apartment and wait for me."

 

"I will. I'll wait for you."

 

"I'll be there soon as I can. See ya soon."

 

"Hurry, Ennis. I need you so bad." Jack wept into the phone with quiet little gasps.

 

"I will. Go get some sleep now and I'll call you at the apartment first chance I get and let you know when I'll get there."

 

"There's a cab out front right now lettin' somebody out." 

 

"Good. Go grab it. I'll talk to you soon."

 

"OK. Bye." Jack hung up the phone and dashed out the front door of the hospital in time to catch the cab.

 

 

Ennis didn't take the time to even think about it. Jack needed him and he had to get there fast before Jack did something desperate. He called Jack's attorney, Bill Mathison. He explained what had happened and asked about getting a passport. He told Ennis to head for the Riverton airport and ask for connections to Cheyenne and on to New York City and Switzerland. He told him to check in at the American Airlines desk once he got to NYC and he would have someone waiting for him with the necessary paperwork. He explained that Ennis would need to take his driver's license and birth certificate with him and have his picture taken but it shouldn't take too long to get it. He explained that Ennis might have to spend tomorrow night in NYC but if that happened, his people would get a room for him and they would have him on the first flight to Switzerland once he had the passport in his hands. 

 

Ennis thanked him, relieved that all he would have to worry about was getting himself to NYC and that the rest of it would be taken care of for him. He threw some clothes and his shaving kit into his bag, grabbed the checkbook off Jack's dresser and headed out the door after putting out the fire. He stopped at the barn long enough to put some extra grain and hay down for the horses – made sure they had plenty of water and left.

 

He drove to Riverton in a daze, refusing to allow himself to think about what he was doing. Once at the airport the nerves kicked in and he shook with fear as he made his way in from the parking lot to stand in front of the tickets counter. He explained to the girl that he needed to get to Switzerland as fast as possible and she got to work checking out the scheduling for him.

 

He stood and watched as a huge airplane came in for a landing. He was going to be on one of them soon and flying half way around the world and he had to take hold of the counter in front of him to steady himself. He was going to be flying in an air plane – certainly nothing he ever expected to be doing. The thought shook him to his core but the thought of Jack so far away; alone and desperate made him all the more determined that he would do it.

 

"Ennis del Mar! What are you doin' at the airport? Did Junior tell you I was comin' in tonight?"

 

The sound of Alma's voice sickened him and he froze speechless for the moment before responding. "Didn't even know you'd be here." 

 

"You expect me to believe that? What else would you be doin' here?"

 

"Leavin'." He toed his bag that was sitting on the floor at his feet.

 

"And just where would you be goin? And on an airplane?" Alma stood there with a hand on one hip, demanding an answer.

 

"I'm goin' off to Switzerland on a vacation." Ennis' chin went up.

 

"You lyin' to me again, Ennis. You ain't flyin' off on no vacation to Switzerland!"

 

Just then the clerk came back to the counter and said, "OK, Mr. del Mar. Your flight is about to load right now. This is your ticket to Cheyenne and from there, they will book the rest of your flight to New York and on to Switzerland." She tucked the tickets into the folder and handed it to him along with a statement telling how much it cost. He wrote out the check carefully recorded it in the register as 'plane to Cheyenne'. He was stunned at the cost and wondered what it was going to cost to fly all the way to Switzerland if it cost this much just to fly to Cheyenne. It didn't matter though. Whatever it cost, he was going to get to Jack.

 

Alma stood with her mouth open then started in on him as he made his way to the loading gate. "Never once in the twelve years we was married did you take me ANYWHERE and now you're flyin' off to vacation in Switzerland?"

 

"None of your business, Alma."

 

"Yes, it is too my business! You're my children's father and I got a right to know what you're up to!"

 

He leaned down real close to her ear and whispered, "I got more important things to do than talk with you. I got a beautiful blue-eyed ski bunny waitin' for me in Switzerland and we're gonna do us a little skiin'." 

 

"You ain't never been on a pair of skis in your life, Ennis!"

 

"Go to hell, Alma!" He said over his shoulder and handed his ticket to the uniformed man at the gate. He walked on through and out to the plane, his determination renewed.

 

Though he was terrified most of the way, the flight to Cheyenne was smooth and only took two and a half hours. He was relieved to be on the ground again and steeled himself for the next leg of the trip. He knew it would be long and arduous but he never even thought about turning back. Jack was in trouble and he was going to get to him no matter what it took.

 

Ennis wandered around and stopped at a snack machine. There was another couple there getting snacks for their trip and one woman was standing nearby talking with the man at the machine and asking how to make the ATM work. He explained to her how to insert her card and type in what she wanted and out came her cash. Ennis listened and tried to watch without them seeing him as he got snacks from the machine and stuffed them into his pockets. Once they left the ATM, he walked over, pulled out the credit card from in back of the checkbook and inserted it into the machine. He typed in what he wanted, a thousand dollars and waited. The machine came up with a message in the window that the limit was five hundred dollars so Ennis did it again typing in five hundred dollars. In seconds the money appeared. He folded it and stuck it into his wallet and walked on.

 

He stopped at a magazine stand and bought a couple magazines and headed back to the proper gate and took and seat and waited. Once his flight was called he boarded the plane and took his seat. He sat staring out the window and thought of Jack. He hoped and prayed that Jack had done what he promised and gone to get some sleep. He sounded terrible. Poor Jack. Poor, poor Jack.

 

xxxxxx

 

At his arrival in NYC, he saw a man standing there holding up a sign with his name on it. He introduced himself and was given the paperwork for the passport and escorted over to a small office where everything was taken care of. His picture was taken and within an hour, he had his passport.

 

The flight seemed like it would never end to Ennis. He tried to read his magazines but couldn't concentrate. It was nothing like the flights he had taken before – first to Cheyenne and then on to New York. Both those flights, while frightening to him, were at least, mostly smooth. But the flight across the Atlantic was an experience he would never forget – and one he would never make again if he didn't have to. 

 

He sat rigid in his seat and barely moved until his bladder forced him to get up and go find the bathroom. His legs felt wobbly and he was breathing in short gasps. He hurried back to his seat as fast as he could. Every time they hit an air pocket he was sure the plane was going down and that he'd never make it to Jack. He dozed off and on but most of the trip he sat in white-knuckled terror. He watched the faces of the other passengers who were casually walking up and down the aisle and couldn't understand why no one else seemed to feel his panic. 

 

The plane finally landed and he was amazed that the terror was now over with. He had survived! Once through customs and out front there was a line up of cabs. He walked up to one and handed him the piece of paper with Jack's address on it. The driver nodded and Ennis got in and they were off. Ennis was speechless as they drove through the streets of Bern. It was like being in the middle of a movie, Ennis thought. He'd never seen anything like it. The buildings, the sounds, the smells, the way the people were dressed – everything was different. He was a bit startled when the driver stopped and pointed to a building across the street. It was a minute before Ennis realized that he had arrived at Jack's building. 

 

The driver pointed to the meter that showed how much he owed. He pulled out his wallet and paid the man then took off across the street. He stood for a moment looking at the door handle and wasn't sure if he was supposed to knock or turn the handle or pull on it – he had never seen a door knob like it before. Just then, the door opened and a young couple came out, laughing and talking. He stepped aside to let them pass and caught the door before it closed and entered. He was in a small foyer with mail boxes on the wall – each one having a name beneath it and a number. He looked for Twist and found it with the number 312.

 

He took the stairs two at a time, invigorated now that he was this close to Jack. He knocked on the door and waited. He was about to knock a second time when the door opened. Jack stared at him for a full second before throwing himself into Ennis' arms.

"You came! You came!" He sobbed as he clung desperately to Ennis.

 

Ennis shoved him backwards into the apartment and closed the door behind them. "I can't believe you're here!" Jack gasped as he wept.

 

Ennis just held him as tightly as he could and managed to get them over to the couch. He had never seen Jack cry like this before. Yes, they had quarreled before and they had both shed bitter and angry tears but nothing like this. This was a torrent of grief and emotion and it affected him deeply. He was doubly glad now that he had made the trip. Jack needed him. And that was the only thing that mattered to him right now. 

 

He pulled out his handkerchief and tried to wipe Jack's face but in moments it was soaked again. He just could not stop the tears, the shaking, the misery that was pouring out of Jack.

 

Ennis just held him tight and rocked him. He didn't know how long they sat there like that but before long Jack had quieted down and Ennis realized that he had fallen asleep.

 

He carefully loosened himself from Jack's grip and eased Jack down with his head resting on the arm of the couch. He lifted Jack's legs and stood watching him for several minutes. Once he had regained his senses he realized he was cold. He looked around for a thermostat but couldn't find it. He went into the small first bedroom and pulled a blanket off the bed and brought it out and covered Jack as he slept.

 

He went looking for the kitchen then, found it and put a pot of coffee on then went to check out the rest of the apartment. There were two bedrooms – one lush and grand at the end of the hall and had to have been Lureen's. He closed the door without going in. The smaller bedroom had obviously been set up for Bobby. It had some of Jack's things so he guessed that was where Jack had been sleeping. Next he found the small guest bathroom, used it and went back to the kitchen for the coffee. 

 

The place was a mess. Cigarette butts everywhere along with beer bottles, whiskey bottles, empty food containers and dirty dishes. He took his jacket off and got to work. He was looking for where the dishes were supposed to be stored when he found a small pantry. He recognized some of the canned goods that Jack liked to eat and pulled out a couple cans of stew. Once he finished cleaning the apartment he'd warm that up for lunch. His stomach rumbled just thinking about it. 

 

In no time he had the kitchen clean and started on the rest of the apartment that was littered with the debris of a single man living alone and not caring what the place looked like. Once he was finished he went back into the kitchen and heated up the stew. He found some bread that had gone hard but they could dip it in the stew and it should be all right. 

 

He walked back into the front room and knelt down in front on Jack. He just stared at him for a long while making note of all the differences since he had last seen him months before. He looked gaunt with dark circles under his eyes and his face was a lot thinner. He had lost quite a bit of weight. His hair was longer too and tangled and unruly. It reminded him of when he had first met Jack up on the mountain and they both let their hair grow for the summer.

 

He pulled the blanket up over Jack's shoulder and Jack stirred and opened his eyes.

 

"Ennis? You're here? I didn't dream you?" In seconds he was back in Ennis' arms again – Ennis fighting to keep his balance and not tumble.

 

"I'm here, Bud. I'm here." Ennis caressed him and held him close. "You hungry? I fixed us some lunch."

 

"You did?" Jack pulled back out of Ennis' arms and stared at him. 

 

Ennis moved them both up onto the couch—not letting go for a second.

 

"Uh huh. Got some stew all warmed up and waitin'. I'm starvin. You think you can eat somethin?"

 

"I'll just have a beer."

 

"No you won't! It's only just passed noon and you don't need to be drinkin' this early. You need some food. C'mon." He stood up and pulled Jack up with him.

 

"I can't believe you're really here." Jack said as he followed Ennis into the kitchen.

 

"Me neither. I may have to swim home though. That plane ridin' sucks!" Ennis grinned at him as he sat a bowl of stew in front of him and broke off a chunk of bread to go with it. He fixed himself some, poured them each a cup of coffee and sat down.

 

"Yeah, I know. I hated it too." Jack said as he played with his spoon in the stew.

 

"Eat!" Ennis ordered. "I come all this way and fixed you lunch. The least you can do is eat it."

 

Jack gave a tired grin and spooned some stew into his mouth. "This is good." He finally agreed and in no time their bowls were empty and they were sipping their coffee.

 

"Ennis – I just want to go home. I hate it here."

 

"I don't blame you for that. Everythin's so different here. It's like bein' in a story book or a movie or somethin'."

 

"I been talkin' to Hank Winters – Lureen's lawyer back in Childress. He's makin' arrangements for me to take Bobby and Lureen back home – back to Texas."

 

"You movin' back to Texas, Jack?" A stab of fear shook him.

 

"Me? No way! But it's Lureen's home and Hank's checkin' into some place there where I can put her. When the time comes, I know she'd want to be there where her people are. I'm takin' Bobby home too."

 

"Good. I'm sure that's what Lureen would want."

 

There was silence between them for a while then Jack reached for his cigarettes, lit one up and spoke. "I gotta tell you somethin', Cowboy. I think I'm responsible for Bobby dyin'."

 

"That's nonsense, Jack! Did you unplug his machine?"

 

"Nope. It is my fault though."

 

"Did you sign the papers sayin' they could unplug him?"

 

"No." He couldn't look Ennis in the eye. He got up and wandered back into the front room and sat down on the couch – wrapping himself in the blanket. Ennis followed him in and sat beside him.

 

"Bud, you gotta help me out here. I can't help you if I don't know what you're talkin' about."

 

"It's my fault, Ennis. I … prayed."

 

"You prayed? You prayed that he would die?"

 

"NO! I prayed that if one of them had to die that it would be Lureen – not Bobby."

 

"How does that make you responsible?" Ennis was thoroughly confused.

 

"Don't you see? Nothin' I ever prayed for my whole life ever came true. Nothin'! I should a known better. I prayed that Lureen would die and not Bobby. It ain't right, Ennis. You should never pray that someone die."

 

"Jack, that don't make it your fault."

 

"Yes it does! God is punishin' me for my sins – for wishin' it was Lureen that was dyin' instead of Bobby."

 

"I don't know a whole lot about God and prayin' and stuff but I remember my Momma used to talk about God a lot. She always thought right highly of Him. I can't see He'd punish you for wishin' somethin' like that. Least ways, not the God my Momma always talked about."

 

"I should a known better. My Momma taught me how to pray when I was little. I prayed and prayed and prayed but it never worked for me. I'd pray every night before I went to sleep. Just one time, I'd beg Him, just one time let my Pa smile at me and say that I done good and he was proud of me. It never happened – never!" Jack wiped at his nose and Ennis handed him his dampened handkerchief. Jack used it and went on. 

 

"I prayed and prayed that I'd make it big in the rodeo – make lots of money so I could go back and give it all to Momma so she could buy herself some pretty things – those girly things that women like. It never happened neither. Then I met you and I prayed and prayed that one day you'd change your mind and agree to go away with me. That never happened neither." He stubbed his cigarette out and lit another one. "I should a known better than to pray. It's never worked for me."

 

"I went away with you, Bud. You forget already how you drove me all around in that fancy bus of yours? We had us a good time drivin' all around."

 

"Yeah, we did. But our time together never lasts. We get to be together just long enough to see how good life really could be – then you'd have to get back to work and I'm alone again."

 

"I'm here with you now." Ennis said and reached over and caressed the back of Jack's neck.

 

"I know and it's wonderful – the best. But I know that soon we'll be back out at the ranch and we'll find someone to hire to manage the place and you'll be gone again."

 

"I've been thinkin' about that and I think I've found your ranch manager."

 

"Good." Jack said not really digesting what Ennis was saying.

 

"I was thinkin' about me."

 

Jack looked up then. "You're thinkin' you need to get back to Cole's place before you lose your job. I can understand that."

 

"Nope. I was thinkin' of quittin' Coles. I got me a better offer."

 

Jack looked at him wondering if he'd missed something.

 

"A better offer?"

 

"Uh huh. Ranch manager's job – a real nice spread up close to Thermopolis." 

 

Jack stared at him – not believing his hears.

 

"You don't mean … What DO you mean?"

 

"I mean, I like Thermopolis. I like the town and I like the people. For some reason, they all seem to think that you and I are brothers." Ennis grinned.

 

Jack got a sheepish look on his face, his tired eyes brimming with excitement. "Are you sayin' what it sounds like you're sayin?"

 

"I put a lot of work into that ranch, Bud. I'd hate for someone else to come in there and mess it all up."

 

"I gotta hear you say the words, Cowboy." Jack shrugged the blanket off and leaned closer.

 

"I'm thinkin' you got yourself a ranch manager if you still want me."

 

Jack seized him then choking out the words. "You mean it? You really mean it?"

 

"It's perfect, Jack. The ranch is perfect, the location is perfect. I know most of the people 'round there now and they all seem to like me. 'Course they all think we're step brothers but I can't see as that hurts anythin'. I think it's a perfect set up." 

 

"You'll do it? You'll move in with me?" Jack was wide-eyed.

 

"It's already done. I'm a permanent fixture there now. Couple months ago, I emptied out my trailer in Riverton and brought my stuff over to your place. I'm in the room right across from yours."

 

"You don't wanna sleep with me?"

 

"I do! But I need to keep my own room. Just in case we have any visitors come round."

 

"OK. Whatever. As long as we get to sleep together." Jack shook his head in agreement.

 

"I been sleepin' alone for too many years, Bud. I need someone to warm my bed."

 

"You're bed will never be cold again, Cowboy. I promise you that." 

 

Their silent embrace was interrupted by the telephone. Jack reluctantly let go of Ennis, got up and went over to where the phone was sitting on a desk and answered it. From what Ennis could make out, he was talking with the attorney. Jack came back to the couch and sat down.

 

"That was Hank. He's got all the paperwork taken care of. We just need to go over to the Embassy to pick it up."

 

"You best clean up a little bit first then. You need a shower and a shave and I could use one myself." Ennis was both excited and scared about making the trip back. He wanted to take Jack and head home but the thought of getting back on another plain terrified him.

 

"You're right. I stink somethin' awful. Sorry, Cowboy. I just didn't think."

 

"No problem. I been sittin' on planes or in air ports the last couple a days myself and haven't had time to clean up. What do you say we get after it so we can start home?"

 

"I knew if I could just get you here that you would take me home!" Jack said as they gathered their things and readied themselves for a shower.

 

Ennis shaved while Jack showered and then Jack shaved while Ennis showered. The little kisses and caresses they shared tempted them to spend the afternoon in bed but they both wanted to get on over to the embassy and get their hands on the paperwork that would be their tickets home.

 

They were both relaxed and happy when they climbed out of the cab two hours later and climbed the stairs to the apartment. They had stopped at a grocery store and shopped before reaching home so had all they would need for the little time that they had left there.

 

The phone was ringing as they came into the apartment. Jack answered it. It was the hospital saying they had received the paperwork that had been sent to them and that he needed to come in first thing in the morning to sign them and then they could leave.

 

Ennis put the groceries away while Jack sat at the table re-reading the paperwork again.

 

"This seems to cover everything. They got two ambulances standing by to take Lureen and Bobby to the air port and there is going to be someone there to meet us and they'll see that they get safely on board. Once in New York another person is supposed to be waiting to see about getting them transferred to another plane that will take us to Dallas where we transfer to a smaller plane that will get us to Childress. In Childress, there will be someone from the funeral home to take Bobby and someone from a long-care hospital to pick up Lureen. We'll need to stay there a few days to make sure Lureen has everything she needs and to see about a funeral for Bobby." The thought of actually putting Bobby in the ground brought back all the incredible sadness to Jack.

 

"It'll be all right, Bud. We'll get through this then we can get ourselves back home."

 

"That's all I want, Ennis. Just to be back home again."

 

"Well, if we can just manage to survive a couple a more plane rides, we'll be home free."

Ennis opened a beer and handed it to Jack then opened another for himself and sat down at the table next to Jack.

 

Jack took a long drink from his bottle while Ennis just sipped the unfamiliar bottle and frowned at the taste.

 

"You're trip over rough?" Jack asked.

 

"Uh huh. I sat there until I nearly pissed my jeans before I finally got up enough nerve to get up and go find the john."

 

"Yeah. I did the same thing. I really do hate flying, Cowboy."

 

"Once we get ourselves home there won't be no need for any more of it. We wanna go some place, we'll just drive in your fancy bus."

 

"Oh I like the sound of that." Jack sat back and relaxed just thinking about being home again.

 

"Me too. I really enjoyed ridin' around in that thing." Ennis agreed – pleased with himself that he had brought a smile to Jack's face. He could see Jack relaxing. "Not that we'll be goin' anywhere soon. The roads are pretty bad right now but I was thinkin' maybe we should take a trip to market come spring and see about some new stock. If we took your bus, we wouldn't have to worry none about findin' a place to stay while we're there."

 

"You thinkin' we need a whole new herd?" Jack asked, glad for something else to talk about besides Bobby and Lureen.

 

"No. We got maybe a dozen we should probably cull out – maybe more by spring. We'll have to wait and see how they winter. I do think we should see about getting a stallion and a coupla mares."

 

"Sounds good. You think we need to do any work on the barn first?"

 

"I already done it. I cleaned it out good and tore out that old work bench and shelves and fixed up another four stalls. It can easy hold another four or five horses."

 

"Another four or five?"

 

"Uh huh. I got my two horses in there now."

 

"You do?" Jack beamed. 

 

"Yep. Once I moved up there I didn't see no sense in payin' to board them so I brought them on up – didn't figure you'd mind none."

 

"Of course not! I'm just so happy – I can't tell you what it means to me to know that once we get home you won't be leavin' me."

 

"Nope. Can't see why one brother should leave another with they both need each other so bad." Ennis grinned.

 

"I do need you, Cowboy, something awful!"

 

"Me too, Jack. Me too." Ennis answered as he reached across the table and squeezed Jack's arm.

 

"You ain't mad at me for makin' up that story about us bein' brothers?"

 

"I was kinda at first but the more I got to thinkin' about it, the better it sounded to me."

 

"I didn't really spend no time thinkin' it up or plannin' it. I just wanted the place to be in both our names and when it come time to sign on the dotted line, I wrote your name down along with mine. The real estate lady asked me who you were and it just flew outta my mouth. I said you was my step brother. I didn't mean for it to get around like that but by the time I was openin' a bank account, old Tom there comes up with 'Oh, you're one of the brothers that bought the Nicholson place.' I was shocked. But that card had already been played so I just went with it. It all just kinda happened. I should a remembered that in a small town everybody knows everybody else and word gets around."

 

"I can't see as it's done any harm, Bud. And the truth is, that way back when we were just kids, Momma did leave Pa a couple of times and moved us into town. We lived in a small place up over the barber shop. I remember Momma did see some fella for a time and we all hated him. 'Fore long, Pa was comin' round and we ended up back out at the ranch. That, sure enough, could a been your Pa though she never married him – least ways, not that I knew of."

 

"Don't matter none. It fits the story close enough." Jack said and Ennis agreed with a nod.

 

"Ya ain't mad at me then?"

 

"Nope. I'm too happy to have you comin' home to be mad at you."

 

"Thanks, Cowboy. Ya know – the more I think about it, the more it just makes sense. Everybody in town probably knows by now that we're brothers and can't nobody suspect a couple a brothers of bein' anythin' but brothers."

 

"That's kinda what I been thinkin'."

 

"Now all we gotta do is get home." Jack said with a wistful look about him.

 

"Yeah. As much as I'm wantin' to get back home – I ain't lookin' forward to that plane ride."

 

"Me neither." Jack agreed. "I don't know how all those people do it all the time and not be scared to death."

 

"Uh huh. I was already scared just climbin' up those steps and findin' my seat. Once that plane too off I was even more scared. Then all the sudden we was out over the ocean and it just kept gettin' worse and worse the way that old plane was jumpin' around. Didn't see anyone on that plane that was scared as me. There was even some kids on that plane runnin' up and down the aisle laughin' and playin'. Guess they didn't know that the plane could fall out a the sky any minute and drop them in the middle of the ocean."

 

"I don't even want to think about that plane ride. I just wanna think about bein' back home on the ranch and you and me runnin' the place together." Jack said with a shiver.

 

"There won't be a whole lot to do until spring so we'll just have to find somethin' to do for the next couple a months." Ennis grinned at him.

 

Jack took his meaning and grinned. "I think we'll be able to find somethin' to do to pass the time."

 

"You bet we will. I was sort a thinkin' that we might could get started on that. You think it's about bed time?"

 

"Yeah, I been thinkin' about that too." Jack looked down feeling guilty.

 

"What?" Ennis saw the look and asked.

 

"I was just wonderin'. Would you mind us sleepin' on the couch? There's no way I could sleep with you or do anythin' in Lureen's bed or Bobby's neither."

 

"Sure enough. It wouldn't be right. You could go ahead and sleep in Bobby's bed like you been doin' and I could just sleep on the couch."

 

"No! I want us to sleep together from now on."

 

"OK. The couch it is then. It'll be a tight squeeze but I don't think neither of us would mind bein' scrunched up together for the night." Ennis smiled at him.

 

"You're the best, Ennis!" Jack hugged him.

 

"What are you gonna do with all their things? You gonna try and take all their stuff?"

 

"No. I already thought of that and talked with someone at the hospital about it. They told me about a place that would come clean up the apartment for nothin' in return but just the contents. It's some charity place."

 

"That sounds good."

 

"I called them and they said to just give them a call and they'd send someone right over. I spoke with the management people of this place and they have worked with this charity before. All I gotta do is make the call to the charity when we leave. Then we leave the keys and the check to cover all the final fees in the office and they take care of the rest of it."

 

"Good. We won't have to worry none about all that then."

 

"There's some stuff I'll wanna keep. I figured to just load up one of Bobby's bags with it and we can haul it back with us on the plane."

 

"I got room in my bag if you need to put anythin' in there."

 

"Thanks, Cowboy. I might just do that."

 

"What about Bobby's stuff at school? Didn't you tell me he lived at the school and just stayed here with Lureen on week ends?"

 

"That's right. His stuff was already sent over. It's in that box in his room. I already went through it and there ain't nothin' in it I wanna keep … mostly just school stuff."

 

"So he's checked outta that school and they ain't gonna have no papers for you to sign or nothin?"

 

"There was and I signed them when they brought Bobby's stuff here. That's all taken care of. I guess all that's left to do then is get us all back home."

 

"And we can leave tomorrow morning?"

 

"Uh huh. I never been so glad to leave a place in my whole life." Jack said.

 

"Me too, Bud, me too." Ennis agreed. 

 

They sat for a while just holding each other then Ennis got up and got some blankets and a pillow and they made themselves comfortable on the couch. Ennis reached up and turned the lamp of on the table beside the couch and lay on his side with Jack backed up against him his head pillowed on Ennis' shoulder.

 

"I don't ever want to sleep anywhere but in your arms again, Cowboy." Jack sighed as he settled in beside him.

 

"No place else I wanna sleep neither, Jack." Ennis held him close and the two of them let the weariness seep out of them. Soon they were fast asleep.

 

They came to in the morning when the sun in their faces woke them. They ate a hurried breakfast, packed their things and called a cab. They hauled their bags down the three flights of stairs, stopped in the office long enough to leave the keys and give management their final check, and then stood on the curb for the few minutes it took for the cab to show.

 

Again, Ennis was amazed by the city and all its sights and smells. They carried their bags in with them and sat in the office of the hospital administrator and signed all the papers. They were informed when the ambulances arrived and they were told it was necessary for Jack to accompany them to the airport. They went with the nurses to Lureen's room and watched while she was prepared for the trip. A warmer heavier gown was placed over the one she had on and a knit cap was tied on under her chin to keep her ears warm. The medical equipment she would need was secured on the stretcher beside her and she was covered with a warm blanket. 

 

They stood outside in the snow as she was loaded into the back of the ambulance … the second ambulance stood nearby with Bobby's coffin in it waiting for the trip. A car was provided for them as they solemnly made their way to the airport. They stood and watched as both patient and casket were loaded on board with the help of a small lift and then they were boarded before everyone else. The flight attendants hovered around them, showing them to their seats and helping them load their bags into the over head compartments. Once they were seated the other passengers started to board.

 

The flight back was not nearly as horrendous as the trip over. They both expected the worst but were pleasantly surprised by a relatively smooth trip. The attendants came to them often – offering snacks, drinks, magazines and saw to their every need. After lunch was served, they both napped. Ennis asked for pillows and blankets as the attendant cleared away their trays and they were given to them immediately. Jack closed his little window to keep the sun out of their eyes and the two of them dozed off. 

 

Ennis woke hours later as Jack stood up beside him and whispered, "I gotta go."

 

"Me too," Ennis whispered back and the two of them headed for the restrooms. Once back in their seats again they felt much better. Dinner was being served and they were both quite happy to accept the trays and devoured their food though neither of them was quite sure what it was. 

 

It was dark outside now and most of the passengers settled in for sleep. They were seated in the back of the plane with no one else around them and talked quietly about the ranch and all the things they wanted to do the coming spring. Ennis told him about the hunting trip he had taken and the Elk he had gotten and how he had to get two new freezers. Jack was pleased that their garden had produced so much and they talked about all they wanted to plant for next year. 

 

Ennis told him about Eula Simpson's barn burning and how they all helped rebuilt it and how much he liked all the people who had worked on it. He compared it with the one barn raising he had been to as a child and Jack shook his head in understanding.

 

Just before their arrival one of the attendants came to them and told them they were about to land and that they should stay in their seats until everyone else had de-planed and someone would come for them.

 

"We're almost there." Ennis said as he squeezed Jack's arm. 

 

"I just want this nightmare to all be over with so we can get on home. I hope the flight to Dallas is smooth. I hate it when the plane drops like that all the sudden. It scares me to death."

 

"Me too, Bud, me too." 

 

The captain was speaking over the loud speakers and telling everyone to buckle up as they would be landing shortly. Passengers were beginning to stir and gather their things together. Soon the plane was landing and the two of them breathed a sigh of relief. They had made it across the ocean and were half way home. 

 

They waited until everyone was gone and then stood up and stretched their legs. They were putting their jackets on and getting their bags down when a uniformed man approached them saying that they were ready for them. They left the plane and stood beside it as the two ambulances were loaded. Then they were taken to a holding area where they waited for nearly an hour before someone came for them saying that their flight for Dallas was ready to board them. 

 

Just as before the attendants paid special attention to them and saw to their every need. They were relieved to find the flight was a direct flight and would take only six and a half hours. Still a long flight but nothing like what they had just come off of. They were served breakfast with orange juice and hot coffee and it perked them both up. The closer they got to Texas the better they felt about the whole thing.

 

"Your attorney in Texas arranged this whole thing?" Ennis asked.

 

"Uh huh. He arranged for someone from the hospital to be at the air port to meet us and take Lureen. And someone will be there from the funeral home to take Bobby. He said services will be held tomorrow morning. Once I see that Lureen's all taken care of we can leave and head on home."

 

"I thought lawyers just did trials and divorces and stuff like that. I had no idea they could do somethin' like all this."

 

"All this stuff has lots of paperwork that goes with it and they know all about it and what it takes to get it done. They are expensive but worth every penny." Jack said.

 

"Uh huh," Ennis agreed not knowing how many tens of thousands of dollars all this had cost. 

 

It was mid afternoon when they arrived in Dallas and were met with the same request to remain on board until someone came for them. They were taken directly to the smaller plane and boarded. They had an hour wait on board before take off and walked around on the plane stretching their legs and cramped muscles. Soon the plane was boarded and they were on their way with only just an hour and a half flight to Childress ahead of them.

 

Childress was cold and windy and there was ice on the runway but they made it safely – just happy to be on the ground again. Lureen's attorney was there to meet the plane and filled them in on the plans for the funeral the next day as well as details about Lureen's nursing home. They stood with the wind whipping around them while Lureen and Bobby were loaded up on different ambulances and watched as they drove off. 

 

"I reserved rooms for the two of you over at the Days Inn hotel and I've got a taxi waiting to take you there. You'll be needed out at the nursing home first thing tomorrow morning and the funeral will be held at two o'clock. I'll have a car pick you up at one. I'll need you in the office to take care of some paperwork first." 

 

"Thank you. I appreciate all the work you did. We'll see you tomorrow then." Jack said as he shook the attorney's hand.

 

The taxi ride was only about fifteen minutes and they were picking up the keys to their rooms. They were pleased to see that the rooms were right next door to each other and connected by an adjoining door.

 

"Ennis, I been thinkin' since our plane landed", Jack said as they tossed their bags on the bed. "What do you think about us buyin' a new truck and drivin' the rest of the way home?"

 

"A new truck? Jack we already got two trucks."

 

"Yeah, I know. Mine's only a couple a years old but yours could stand replacin."

 

"Ain't nothin' wrong with my truck that a good tune up can't fix." 

 

"I know. I was thinkin' we could keep that one just for work around the ranch and you and me both would have good trucks to drive around in. And it would mean we wouldn't have to get on another plane."

 

"Now that part I like." Ennis grinned.

 

"Let's do it. C'mon. We can grab a cab and head over to the Ford Dealership. We can pick you out a new F-150 then we can catch some dinner and come back here and get a proper night's sleep. That way we could leave right after the services tomorrow afternoon. What do you think?"

 

Right then and there Ennis could see the way things were going to go for them. He was going to agree to just about anything that would put a smile on Jack's face. Didn't matter what it was. He knew Jack would let him make the decisions about running the ranch but he still needed to feel like some of the decisions were his and Ennis was willing to make the compromise. Truth to be told, his truck was about on its last legs and they both knew it. Using it just on the ranch made good sense.

 

Ennis grinned and put his hat back on. "Let's do it." 

 

An hour later they were sitting at the local Denny's eating patty melts and French fries and their shiny new pick up sat in the parking lot out front. 

 

"Jack, we didn’t have to get a brand new one. We could a gotten one a couple a years old. It woulda been a lot cheaper." Ennis said as he sipped his coffee and waited for their check from the waitress.

 

"I wanted to get it for you. Kind a my thank you for comin' all the way to Switzerland to bring me home. You wouldn't turn down a thank-you gift; would you?"

 

"Well since you put it that way." Ennis couldn't hide the delight at owning a brand new vehicle for the first time in his life – something he never dreamed he'd have.

 

"We got us a long drive ahead of us, Cowboy, and we may as well do it in comfort."

 

"Ain't no gettin' comfortable on one of those planes."

 

"That's for sure," Jack agreed. "Course, it won't be as comfortable as the motor home but it'll get us there."

 

"It sure will be good to get home." Ennis said as they walked out to the truck and he took the shiny new keys out of his pocket and unlocked it. He got behind the wheel and ran his hand over the smooth steering wheel mentally comparing the cab to his old truck.

"This is really nice, Bud. I appreciate it."

 

Jack smiled at him. "Wish we was heading home right now. I hate even thinkin' about tomorrow."

 

"Yeah. It's gonna be hard but we just gotta keep thinkin' about takin' off right after and it will make it bearable."

 

"I know. I know. I just can't believe that Bobby's really gone and that Lureen's as good as gone too."

 

"It's a tough one, Bud. But you'll make it through this and then we can head on home."

 

"I wish it was tomorrow night and we were stoppin' somewhere along the highway for the night." Jack said sadly.

 

"It will be before you know it. Let's get to the hotel and get some sleep."

 

"I'm ready. I can't remember ever being this tired in my life."

 

"That's because you ain't been eatin' right and probably ain't been sleepin' much neither. And worryin' will do you in just as bad."

 

"Just one more miserable day to get through and it'll all be over with." Jack said as they pulled up to the hotel.

 

"Yep. Tomorrow will be the last of it. Then it's back to the ranch."

 

 

They fell into bed together, Ennis holding Jack as tightly as he had the night before on the couch in Bern, and they dozed off. They awoke early the next morning and headed across the street to a little coffee shop and had breakfast. They came back to the hotel afterwards and packed their things in the back seat of their extended cab and did some shopping for their trip – both of them avoiding talking about the coming afternoon.

 

The trip out to the nursing home took about thirty minutes but it was easy enough to find.

They spent about an hour there, checking out the facility and going over all the paperwork. Jack understood most of it – Ennis only some of it. He paid one last visit to Lureen's room and Ennis waited out in the corridor while Jack went inside. He didn't stay long. Just a few words spoken quietly to Lureen's deaf ears, a kiss on the cheek and he left the room – his eyes filled with tears.

 

Ennis met him and wordlessly they made their way out to the truck and back to the hotel.

 

Jack slumped into one of the chairs and sat staring out the window. 

 

"You ready for some lunch?" Ennis finally broke the silence.

 

"No. You go ahead. I can't eat anythin." Jack shook his head and continued his staring out the window – his eyes seeing nothing more than Lureen's blind eyes did.

 

"We can eat later – once we're on the road." He searched for something else to say to get Jack's mind off his sad thoughts and came up with, "Do you reckon I need to find us a road map or do you know the way home?"

 

"We don't need a map. It's easy enough. You just stay on 287 until Amarillo, then 87 north west until you're into northern New Mexico and connect with I-25. That will take you all the way into Wyomin'. Then you cut over west once you get to Casper on 20 and that will take us the rest of the way."

 

"Once we get to Casper I know the way."

 

Jack said nothing more.

 

"Any where in particular you want to stop for the night?" Ennis asked trying to bring Jack back into conversation.

 

"Don't matter none to me. Whenever you get tired of drivin' and wanna stop will be fine with me."

 

"OK. We won't make no decisions on where to stop right now. We'll just take it as it comes. 

 

A short while later they were both startled by a knock on their door. Jack stood up wearily as Ennis answered the door. The young man told him he was there to drive them to the attorney's office. They followed him out and climbed into the back seat of his car and in minutes were sitting in the lawyer's office. 

 

Jack sat slouched in the chair with his arms crossed against his chest and listened as the lawyer droned on and one about the arrangements he had made for Lureen's continued care and for Bobby's funeral. He pulled the papers out of the file, one by one, and showed Jack where to sign. In thirty minutes it was over with and they were escorted outside to where a big black sedan was waiting to take them to the cemetery. 

 

The grave-side service was short but heart-felt and was attended by only the two of them and the attorney. Afterwards the attorney invited them for lunch but they declined and were taken back to the hotel where they shook hands with him and promised to keep in touch. They went inside only long enough to check their room to make sure they didn't leave anything behind and stopped at the font desk to pay only to find out that the attorney had already taken care of it. In a swirl of motion and silence, they were in their truck and headed out. 

 

"You can pick up 287 right off of Center Street there." Jack pointed the way. In no time Ennis caught sight of the signs and they were up on the highway heading west. Jack didn't speak again until they were in Amarillo and he told Ennis where the cut off to 

87 north. They made it into Colorado and Ennis pulled off the road in the small town of Trinidad.

 

"We need to eat, Bud." He said after he gassed up the truck and pulled up to the little café next door. 

 

Jack said nothing but dutifully got out and followed him inside. They seated themselves in a booth and gave their orders. They made a rest room stop while waiting for their food. Once back at their table and their meal disappearing in front of them, Ennis managed to get a few words out.

 

"There's a motel just up the street. We can stay there tonight if you want or if you feel like goin' on, I still got a couple a hours left in me."

 

"I'd like to go on. I can drive if you're tired. I wanna get Texas as far behind me as possible."

 

"OK. Sounds good to me. I feel fine now that I got some food in me. This time tomorrow night you'll be sitting at your own kitchen table havin' dinner. How does that sound to you?"

 

Jack gave a tired little smile. "I wanna be home with you so bad."

 

"We will be tomorrow. All the hard stuff is behind us now. What do you say we get back on the road?"

 

Jack stood up and they took their check and paid at the register and left. Two more hours driving and they stopped at a motel along side the highway in Colorado Springs. They hauled their bags inside, locked up the door and fell into bed into a dead sleep.

 

They woke up the next morning nearly freezing as they had forgotten to turn the heater on and the temperature was in the low 30s. They didn't even take time to change clothes or eat. They went through a drive through and picked up some breakfast with juice and coffee and headed north. 

 

The road was easy to follow now. On the interstate it was well signed and their hearts seemed to lift with every mile closer they came to Wyoming and home. Jack wanted to drive and Ennis was happy enough to give up the wheel, not looking forward to driving through the traffic of Denver. They stopped for lunch in Cheyenne, both of them giddy about being back in Wyoming again. 

 

It was snowing and the temperature had dropped into the 20s but the highway was clear as they made their way to Casper. Once there, Ennis took over the driving again now that he was in familiar territory. They headed west on 20 and in another two hours they were taking the north turn off at Shoshoni. Less than an hour later they were driving through their front gate. Jack sat silently, his eyes darting about the snow covered fields trying to see everything at once. 

 

Jack couldn't get out of the truck. He sat there, fist to mouth, shaking like a leaf. Ennis came around and opened his door and stepped up on the step.

 

"Jack … c'mon now. Let's go inside. I'll light us a fire and you won't have to hold back nothin' no more." He put his arms around him and rested his forehead against Jack's.

"C'mon. Inside it'll be warm and I'll hold you all night." Then as an after thought he added, "I ain't ever gonna let you go away from me again, Jack. Never!"

 

Jack began to weep then. Deep heart-wrenching sobs. He was boneless in Ennis' embrace as Ennis helped him down out of the truck and into the house. Jack stood rigid in the middle of the front room and Ennis hurried into the bedroom, grabbed a quilt off the bed, brought it out and wrapped it around Jack. He moved him over to the couch and said gently, "Sit."

 

Jack obeyed and Ennis went for the thermostat turning it on full. Then he worked on getting a fire going and sat down next to Jack with his arm around him. "You'll be warm in a few minutes, Bud. You want some coffee? Beer?"

 

"No. I just want to hold on to you for a while." Jack said as he clung to him.

 

"That sounds fine to me. I missed this somethin' awful, Jack, just the two of us sittin' here in front of the fire all quiet like."

 

Jack said nothing – just sat there staring into the fire while big tears ran down his cheeks.

They spent the night sitting there. Ennis adding logs to the fire as it burned down. Jack dozed now and then leaning against him but Ennis couldn't bring himself to close his eyes. He just couldn't believe that they were home – home together where he finally came to know in his heart that they really and truly belonged.

 

THE END


End file.
